Because We'll Always be Comrades
by Dorobouhime
Summary: Years before the Hero Mithos brings peace to the land, two orphans of the Kharlan wars battle for survival, not knowing the weight that their journey will one day hold. A dramatic fic about younger Kratos.
1. Prologue I

It was the end. The precipice loomed just inches from her bare feet, mist concealed the valley floor, making it look all the more like a passage to the underworld. "_If only I had wings_" she thought a bit ironically now that escape was out of the question. The soldiers had closed in around the edges of the clearing. Now the only way out was either down through the mist or sliced to ribbons. She gulped trying not to think about Mom, Dad or her older sister. Scrunching up her eyes, she tried to cleanse them of the images of blood and fire. "_Maybe they got away_," she told herself, trying to stay blissfully ignorant for these last moments.

The valiant thing to do might have been to throw herself off the edge, to keep them from the satisfaction of the kill. It was what Mom might have done, but as she opened her eyes once more she found that she still couldn't muster the resolve. She didn't want to die, why should she help them complete their task?

She turned to face her attackers. There were five of them, all dressed in the same uniform, helms covering their faces. She cared not what side they fought for, whether they were elven, human or even half-elves. Each side despised what her existence represented and ultimately responded with the same violence, rage, or cold indifference.

She watched in horror as they all moved closer, swords drawn, they spoke but the small girl took no note of what they said. She became aware of a high pitched keening, like the sound of an animal begging for its small life and hoping for a miracle. She couldn't move, and for a moment she realized that she was the one crying for her life. She tried to make any kind of movement, but only managed to fall to her knees. She put her hands over her face and waited for the bite of cold metal.

In her last moments, she waited behind the darkness of hands and eyelids, holding her breath. It seemed to her that her heart was getting a lifetime's worth of beats done during these last few seconds. She focused on it, avoiding thoughts of what was to come. She listened to the rapid beat for what seemed like an eternity. After a while, it began to slow and she became aware of a burning sensation in her chest, her body had become starved for oxygen. She started one more breath, but it was soon caught into a gasp as the clash of steel rang to her core, stinging like acid.

She opened her eyes slowly, in the strip of ground visible under her shaking hands, a new pair of shoes had arrived. They were leather and worn, they darted among the armored boots of her persuers. She didn't wince as she saw one of the soldiers collapse just a few inches from her, she smelled metal and a wet, sticky mist dusted her hands and shoulders. Absentmindedly, she wondered why the rain was so warm. She stared at the soldiers eyes and knew that he no longer saw her. His hand held a sword that could no longer cut her.

Was she being protected? Or had a new foe simply arrived and was taking care of their rivals before finishing the job. Maybe the soldiers had gotten to her faster than she thought, and this was only a dying child's hallucination. There was a squelch as two more sets of armored feet simultaneously turned into prone forms, stained with red.

She slowly began to stand, dazedly ignoring her pent up fear, revulsion and despair. There was now room to escape. She removed her hands from her eyes in time to see the fourth soldier fall. Her legs had gone numb from her her crumpled posture, as she planted her foot in the sand, the grains felt like little shards of glass.

Blurred red rivulets ran down from her shoulders, but she felt no pain as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Running was the smart thing to do but once again her body just wouldn't respond. A strangled yell and the heavy thump of something falling to the ground was heard. Her eyes moved slowly from her bloodied hands to the only one that was still standing.

He stood slightly hunched over his last opponent, his fast breathing created a small cloud of mist in the chilly morning air. The swordsman wore no armor. His only clothing was a ragged shirt and trousers that hung off of his wiry frame. Around his waist was a battered sheath that had been repaired by hand many times. A mop of reddish-brown hair veiled his eyes and the expression underneath.

The girl stood petrified as his posture straightened in her direction. Not knowing what his next move might be, her muscles tensed, preparing her so that she might run if things turned worse. Though, if he had been able to kill all five of those soldiers, her chances were obviously limited.

For a second she felt his gaze flick to her, but it quickly turned down to the bloody sword in his hand. With a few small and rough swipes through the air, he managed to get most of the blood off and returned the weapon to its sheath. For a second, it seemed as if he planned to leave without saying a word, but after a few steps he stopped and looked at her again. It was at this point that the little girl saw that he had a hand clamped over his lower abdomen and a crimson stain was slowly dyeing his shirt.

"You're hurt." the sound of her voice seemed so much louder than it should in that dead landscape.

"Yeah." He said a bit breathlessly and with that acknowledgment it seemed that whatever was keeping him standing ceased to be.


	2. Prologue II

((Hi all!! Its your friendly neighborhood author speaking... I really enjoyed writing this chapter! I apologize for the lack of names! They exist, it's just that I felt like making it more from the individual point of view and less expository. I wont start using names until people have introduced themselves. XD sorry if thats weird... Anyway, I do assure you that this indeed a TOS fic. Though it is my first fan fiction ever so I'm sorry if I'm bad at capturing the characters! T.T And yes, if you find that you have trouble remembering who the hell the girl in the first chapter is thats is okay because she is an OC. Though I solemnly swear to try very hard to keep her out of the realm of Marysue-ness. I intend to have this fiction focus mostly on Kratos and what he might have been like as a teen. (He's like fourteen at the start of this BTW) Later I may try and write all the crap with Mithos and then Anna and then everything else, but I'm taking things one step at a time. Also, I apologize for the vague lore, I had to make most of it up XD;; I would love love love your input!! Please review!))

The young swordsman lay quietly in the dirt. It wasn't that he was entirely unconscious, he just couldn't feel his legs thanks to the blood loss. When those two had come at him at once, one of them had managed to get him. At the moment it had been something of an adrenaline rush, it might have even been the reason he won. How sloppy... he thought with some self-loathing. Though, the wound was probably only minor, any second he would get up...

He heard the soft scuff of someone kneeling next to him. He opened his eyes to slits, spying a small blood-smeared face with scared blue eyes. Oh right, the kid. He hoped that blood on her face wasn't her own. She was younger than him by about five or six years. He closed his eyes again, looking at that face brought back memories that he wanted to forget. He should get up and go, but he was just so tired...

"First Aid." came an uncertain whisper, a soft light brushed his eyelids, soon followed by sensation of warmth that flowed through his every vein. He felt the heat settle over his wound before disappearing, followed by a sudden burst of energy.

He gasped and sat up, his defenses bristling at the unknown sensation, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" he yelled in alarm.

The last bit of light in her hands blew out as the eight-year-old jumped back in surprise. Her eyes held the most naked look of fear as she cringed away. "I-I I was--" tears began to stream down her cheek and the young swordsman immediately regretted his actions.

He moved to face her a little better and show that he meant no harm, but before he could speak again, the child had scrambled to her feet and run away at full tilt.

He stood up, meaning to chase after, however, he was soon sidetracked at how painless the motion had been. Pulling up the corner of his shirt, he examined his fresh wound. After wiping away some of the drying blood, he saw that it had hardened into something that looked at least three weeks old. There was a tough scab and the skin was even knitting together.

He looked after the child in confusion but she was long gone. This small miracle couldn't have been anything but magic. She must have been a half-elf, since the people chasing her were from the elven military and humans couldn't do magic on their own. He looked in the direction the girl had disappeared feeling even worse for scaring her off. No wonder she feared him, half elves were hated by each side due to their intrinsic connection to the other. He had saved her simply because she was a child, but now he wondered if there was even a point. She was just as likely to be killed as soon as she encountered people again.

Whatever the case, he must be moving on, life was harsh and one person could only do so much. He paused for a moment shoving the bodies of the slain soldiers over the edge of the cliff, pausing as he watched them disappear into the mist far below. For a moment he felt a pang of guilt if only because he was so satisfied to see those uniforms stained with blood. He didn't fully comprehend the meaning of this war, but he knew who was at fault for destroying everything he had ever loved. He scuffed up the dust on the ground, doing his best to conceal the bloodstains. A trained eye might be able to discern what had gone down, but it would buy him a bit of time before discovery of the bodies.

As he continued on his way nothing of major interest occurred. The morning fog finally burnt off and the sun began to stream through the trees. Once in a while he would hear a small rustle in the bushes or get the feeling of being watched, but in the end he was alone. The only evidence to the contrary came around midday when he stopped to wash off at a stream. Just along the shore he saw a set of small footprints that lead away from the water and up ahead. They were still wet.

He sighed heavily, it seemed he had acquired a silent follower. He wasn't really looking for traveling companions, but if he were to have one, he thought it might be better if they at least walked in plain sight. He thought about trying to get the girl to come out by talking, but he didn't really have much to say. Not to mention that he really didn't want to get into the habit of talking to himself. That was what crazy people did.

None the less, he made sure to walk in the direction that the footprints lead.

Day turned to night as the young man continued to walk, still catching a glimpse of copper hair here and the odd noise there. He maintained a look of obliviousness but he almost found it funny, stealth did not seem to be her strong suit. The only thing that kept him from catching her, was his own fear of scaring her into more danger. He knew that as long as she skirted his path as she was, it was unlikely that she would be eaten by bears, or stumble into an unfriendly village. Sure, he didn't know her at all, but such a thing might weigh on his conscience. When the time came to make camp, he stopped in a small clearing. Looking around, he sighed again, being constantly watched, even if it was by something decidedly non-lethal, was really annoying.

He sat on a rather convenient rock and began to make a small fire. Closer to the major cities, he probably wouldn't have done this, but out here in the forest he would be able to hear anything coming and easily hide.

"I'm making camp now." He said gruffly, feeling a bit foolish about talking to what looked to be an empty forest, "If you want, you can come out. I'm not going to hurt you." He paused and looked around, hoping for some kind of response, but his stalker was silent.

Once the fire was going, he surveyed the contents of his worn pack, looking to see what he might have in the way of dinner. As expected there wasn't much. All he had left after the past week in the wilderness were a few strips of dried meat and half a tin of "Intsant Nutrition Drink" (chocolate flavor), tomorrow he should try to hunt something for breakfast.

He pulled out a small, charred looking kettle, filling it with water from his canteen he set it into the coals to boil. His eyes flicked quickly to the right edge of the clearing as he heard a twig break only three feet away. He strained to see but the darkness beyond the fire was too deep to make anything out. The swordsman smirked a little and took two tin cups out of his bag. It was kind of a lucky coincidence that he even had two. Into each, he measured the suggested amount of drink mix. While he waited for the water to boil, he closed his eyes and listened to the woods. If he hadn't known better he might have been back on the outskirts of his hometown. It hadn't been so long ago that he did this kind of thing for fun.

He guessed that the water was hot enough. Gingerly, He dragged the hot kettle out of the fire with the tips of his gloved fingers. Using a cloth, he picked it up and poured the hot water into the cups. The powder quickly melted into a slightly watery, dark liquid. He picked up his own and took a small drink of the molten liquid. With his other hand, he held the other cup out to his right.

"You'll collapse if you don't have something." He said, keeping his eyes fixed on the fire, though he heard some movement.

No answer came. He took another sip of the hot liquid. A twinge of fatigue started to run through his arm as he continued to hold out the cup.

"It'll get cold", he commented sedately, "and, believe me, its even more inedible when its cold."

There was a small shuffling noise. but still no answer. Minutes went by.

He stubbornly took another sip, still refusing to revoke his offer of food. After a while, he caught some movement in the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned to the right where a small figure had come to the edge of the firelight.

The girl said nothing as she fixed both man and steaming cup with a look of suspicion. But one could also see the hunger in her eyes. She must have been cold too. With only a knee-length shift and no shoes it could be deduced that she must have had to flee unexpectedly. One so young could never be at fault for anything heavy enough to be a death sentence. There was no doubt that she was simply caught in the wanton violence of this war, as so many had been. Pity and outrage clutched his heart at the pitiful sight.

Slowly, he set down his own cup. "My name," he said mustering a melancholy smile, "Is Kratos Aurion.", he held out his hand, "What's yours?"


	3. A Beginning

((Wow! Chapter three already? I guess I'm being kind-of prolific. Oh well, that what happens when you are a spaz like me... Anyway, in honor of the end of the prologue I have draw some random sketches and figured I might post them here for your viewing pleasure. They are really rough and messy and on lined paper, but they are essentially of the first and last images in the prologue! Yay! I would actually have written all of this as Doujin, but I am lazy and thus confined to still shots and Omakes. Which I will post more of with the next chapter. Yay! Here is the first one: http:// i640. photo bucket .com/ albums/ uu122/ Oridesu/ TheEnd .jpg and the second is here : http:// i640. photo bucket .com/ albums/ uu122/ Oridesu/ Ohheck .jpg To view them copy/paste to your browser and get rid of the spaces. Yes. That last one is supposed to be younger Kratos and yes I do fail at drawing everything T,T lol!! Also, I can indeed see that 6 or so people have read chapter two... Which means that I should have 6 reviews dammit!! XD Well maybe not six, but I would love to know what people think. So pleeease review! or I might just stop writing... and if you think I suck and should stop its okay to tell me that to... Even though I might cry a little inside... I'll tell you'all what, the first person to review gets to tell me what to draw next chapter!!))

For a moment, an air of uncertainty filled the fire lit clearing. The girl's eyes moved from the outstretched hand to the sad smile. It was the face of someone who knew her pain, someone who offered comfort and help. The warm sting of tears reached her eyes for the millionth time that day, but this time they were different. They were tears of relief that came from the hope of maybe not being completely alone.

With shaking hands she took the warm cup of whatever he was offering. It smelled like chocolate, a comforting smell, but one that made her feel even more homesick. Trying to keep her voice steady and her cheeks maybe a little dryer, she returned his smile.

"I'm Estelle..." She said and then remembered that she had a last name too, " Estelle Christivair." She looked down, not really sure what to do next.

"Its nice to meet you." Kratos was back to looking at the fire very quickly. He had never been very good at emotional things. He preferred to pay attention to the practicalities of the situation and fix what he could. After a long pause, he looked back at Estelle and motioned for her to come sit by the fire.

She awkwardly skirted the flames and sat opposite to him. After another short silence, she remembered the chocolate-smelling drink. She took a small sip and felt slightly revived by the hot liquid. Though, if she had been making it, she might have added more drink mix. It was so watery. She almost laughed at her own random thought pattern. The warmth of the fire and small bit of sugar had made her feel almost giddy after her day of trudging through the woods. She looked over at Kratos, he was much younger than she had originally judged him to be. Estelle thought that he looked even younger than her 17 year old sister. Even still, he seemed much more like an adult than anyone she had ever known.

She took a deep breath and tried to just stay in the moment, just like dad had always told her. "The world is a horrible place, but not all places are horrible." was what he would say. It was a saying the he used when she got mad about mundane things like bad weather or or a small slight. It had seemed cheesy then, but now it was an idea she clung to for dear life.

"So," Kratos started, feeling like he should say something, "You can do magic?"

The little girl looked up with as start and smiled with her teeth. "Mmhm..." her long braids bobbed as she nodded, "A little, but don't count on my ability to heal." she looked very seriously over her cup, "This morning was practically an accident."

"Got it." Kratos smirked slightly at her sudden directness. He knew that it didn't mean she was any less sacred or traumatized, but that she made a decision to overcome. When someone lost something as important as their family, it could never be forgotten but, in the end, despair would never lead to anywhere worth going to. It was something he had come to terms with over the past two years and it made him happy to see that this child, weather she knew it or not, inherently understood that fact of life.

For a while longer they sat in more comfortable silence. As the fire grew low, it became easier to see the stars through gaps in the branches. The night was very clear and Kratos could make out a number of familiar constellations. After a while he found himself yawning and when he looked over at Estelle he saw that she had fallen asleep, curled in a tight ball next to the fire.

He felt a little bad for not taking into account her exhaustion. He was used to sleeping outside, and often neglected to even use his bedroll when the weather was mild but guessed that, like most children, she had probably been sleeping in a warm house up until this morning.

He laid the afore mentioned bedroll right next to her curled form. After a few hushed attempts to wake her up, Kratos surmised that she hadn't learned to sleep lightly yet. He gently lifted the limp girl and placed her in the bed, making sure that she was well covered and picking a few leaves out of her hair. He stopped as he felt a sickening sense of Deja Vu. Her sleeping face once again brought back the memories of people long gone. How many times had he done such a thing for his own younger siblings?

He turned away from the sleeping form, willing himself to move forward, to not get caught in that dark reality. The past could only make him weak. It could only make him less useful in the present.

He paced from one end of the clearing to another trying to clear his head. After a while, the pain began to numb. It was never quite gone, but that would have to do. He went back over to the sleeping girl, checking on her one last time before settling in to go to sleep.

Leaning back on a tree, he sat cross-legged so that he could get up quickly to defend the camp. Aware of every sound in the dark forest, Kratos drifted into a fitful, restless sleep.


	4. I want to go home

((Okay!! That was long~ After this chapter the story will begin in earnest!! I'm sorry, I feel like its progressing too slowly! I promise there will be action soon!! I cant tell you what, but it will be there!! As far as this chapter's pictures though~ I haven't drawn them yet... So check back in like a day or so if you want to see them. As promised, they shall be dedicated to Key to Soul because she reviewed!! so HA! LOL anyways have fun!!))

In what seemed to be nothing more than the blink of an eye, the clearing was filled with the morning sun. Kratos twitched awake as a golden ray came to rest on his eyelids. Groggily, he looked around.

The clearing was much the same as he had left it last night. He checked for the usual things, his pack, his sword, and other supplies, but when he found his neatly packed bedroll tucked right next to them, it took him a moment to remember why he found that unsettling.

The girl was gone. He stood up, surveying the clearing and confirming his first impression. The space in the dirt where she had slept last night was clearly outlined next to the burnt out fire, but otherwise there was no sign as to where she could have gone.

Kratos put a palm to his forehead and tried to think straight. He had no right to tell her where to go, so it made sense that she would run off. It was the way things should be. There was a long moment of mental silence before his real though process kicked in.

She was only a kid! Not even ten! Without any supplies or weapon's training and she was a half elf to boot! Her face flashed across his memory with a name. Estelle. Yesterday, he might have been able to not think about her fate and move on. But now that he knew her name, he felt he had a responsibility. He had saved her life when death would have been the easier option, he should be there to make sure that she would not have to carry the full weight of life alone. Kratos clenched his fists with determination, he must find her...

"Guess WHAT!"--Kratos was violently punched out of his deep reverie by an energetic yell from his left flank.

"GAH!" His hand shot quickly to his sword, but he stopped short of drawing it. Standing at the edge of the clearing, holding her hands behind her back in a somewhat conspiratory way, was Estelle. She stepped back, and Kratos could see that she was questioning her own cheerfulness.

"Sorry to surprise you, um, Mr. Kratos?" She used his name cautiously, her previous enthusiasm had been slightly dampened, though she still held her hands behind her back.

Kratos took a deep breath, relieved that he had been mistaken. "It's okay," she said, awkwardly trying to smile brightly, "I'm just kind of jumpy."

Estelle laughed a little at this, Krato's naturally serious face looked downright silly trying to mold itself into a sunny grin. Though the fact that he seemed to be trying to be friendly made her feel better. "That's good... Now guess!"

"Huh?" his face went back to being serious as he gave her a look of slight confusion.

"Guess what!" She jumped up and down, pleased with herself.

"What am I supposed to be guessing?"

"What." She stopped jumping and frowned, "You're supposed to guess what."

He gave her a dubious expression, "Well, how am I supposed to guess what if I don't know what what is?"

Estelle gave a very drawn out sigh, "Thats what you're supposed to be guessing." She pulled her hands out from behind her back, revealing brownish colored rabbit that had recently met its end, "And the answer is breakfast. I don't know how to skin it though..." She looked down at the creature before holding it up for Kratos to take.

He took the rabbit from her, though it was accompanied by a by another look if slight confusion. Estelle had not really struck him as a practical hunter. He had more of an image of a gentle child that teared up at the thought of injuring such a cute fluffy animal or a least thought that the small girl wouldn't have the physical strength and coordination to chase it down. "How did you-" he began to ask.

"Oh, and this is yours." She held up her other palm revealing a leather sling that Kratos had forgotten he had in his bag.

"Oh, right..." Kratos took it, slightly dazed. This was far from what he was expecting. Where he came from eight-year-olds girls helped their mothers in the kitchen and made cute sewing projects.

"Is something wrong?" Some worry crept across her delicate features, "I'm really sorry I got into your pack...", She lowered her head, "I just though that... Eep!" She squeaked in surprise as she felt a big hand gently come to rest on her head.

"Its fine." This time Kratos gave her the bemused smirk that looked most at home on his face and tousled her hair.

"Okay!" The girl brightened up immediately and was running off in a second, "I'll start a fire!"

"Hey!" He yelled after her, an edge of warning creeping into his voice. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "No more running off!" The order was stern, but came from a protective place, "You can get some firewood, but stay in the clearing."

"Okay..." The little girl pouted a little as she wandered around the edges of the clearing, picking up all the good firewood she could find. Someone a little older might have accepted the fact that the forests in which she had played all her life were no longer safe. However, she was too young to face that reality, instead she lived on the delusion that everything was normal. She was just camping with a new friend was all! Later, mom would come find her, and apologize for all the trouble she had caused and then they would all go back and have a cup of real hot chocolate. Yup! Her house was just north of here, maybe they would make it home before she was even missed.

Once Kratos had cleaned and skinned the rabbit as well as started the fire, silence once again filled the camp. Neither traveler had eaten much of anything for the last day or so and as the smell of the simmering meat reached their noses that became all the more memorable. After what felt like hours but was probably only about 10 minutes, Kratos declared their meal done enough to eat. The meal in turn lasted another very silent 10 minutes as they each hungrily devoured their portion.

The weather was good and the woods had remained silent, but Kratos was starting to feel uneasy about being in the same place for too long. They were deep in the heart of Elven territory where both he and his little half-elf ward would be killed on sight by the military. "We'd better get going." He said, abruptly standing up. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he looked over at Estelle who was drawing cute pictures with a stick in the dirt and decidedly ignoring him. Apparently, she was still mad about the firewood thing. "Estelle..."

"No. I'm tired." She stopped and crossed her arms across her chest, "I want to go home."

"Estelle, we have to move." He went over to the fire and hastily covered it with dirt, "Those men from yesterday will come and get you again." He tried to avoid the topic of "home". He had no idea as to where she might have lived, but based on the circumstances he could guess that it was no longer whole.

"..." She pretended not to hear him.

"Estelle...", he said almost pleadingly, "Please come on." he reached for her shoulder but she leaned away. He stepped back and sighed, feeling a little helpless. It looked like she wasn't going to come with kind encouragement, so he steeled himself and began the scare tactics. "Half-Elves like you get killed or thrown in dungeons." He said sternly. It didn't really rest well with his conscience to say thing like that to a child, but he hoped it might get her to move if only out of fear.

There was a long silence, "...I'm not a half elf." she said stubbornly.

Kratos sighed heavily, of course she was a half elf, she certainly wasn't human with her slightly pointed ears and magic but this wasn't going to get him anywhere. It occurred to him that she probably only weighed about one third of what he did and wondered why he'd bothered to argue in the first place.

"Come on," He said grimly, picking the small girl up without much trouble, "We're going."

Of course, this brought about quite a bit of yelling and a few attempts to bite off his fingers but after a while things settled down and the journey continued.


	5. The Last Aurion

((Okay, So there's something. I think it's a bit action-ier this week~ Though it is a little more on the side of melodrama as opposed to action. Sorry if that is a problem, but if it is, I question why you ever clicked on this story XDD;;; Anyways~ I don't have much to say this week beside that I'm experiencing "Artist's Block" so I haven't drawn anything worth posting in a while. As always, I love input and reveiws!! Happy Halloween and enjoy!!))

As if the sky was responding to his mood, the sunlight of the morning dimmed into an overcast afternoon. Kratos and Estelle once again reached the edge of the valley they were traveling parallel to and saw that dark clouds had begun to collect on the horizon. They looked restless and volatile, small flashes of lighting danced at their core. The storm was still far off, but they would have to keep an eye out for a decent place to spend the night.

Kratos looked up at Estelle, Carrying her away from camp had turned into just plain carrying her and now she had fallen asleep riding on his shoulders. She was a bit heavy, but simply having someone around made up for that. Besides, she still didn't have any shoes. However, companionship also brought worry. He had known how dangerous it was to come so far into the territory of his enemies, he knew he could be killed any day, it had almost been his wish and he still wouldn't have minded dying for a good cause, but he couldn't bear the thought of bringing someone innocent down with him.

A cold north wind blew across his face, carrying the smell of cinder. His pulse quickened, the more they traveled, the more signs of civilization he noticed. Unfortunately, they would have to brave their way through it all. In the other direction was only the ocean, which could offer no escape.

"hmm?" Estelle began to stir, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Oh, wow~ That's a nice view." she said sleepily, still resting most of her weight on Kratos's head.

"I guess." Kratos said a little dismissively and turned back towards the forest. It wasn't safe to linger outside of the cover the trees provided.

Estelle fell silent again, noticing the obvious change of mood. Her eyebrows knit together as she stared out into the distance. She was beginning to recognize the territory again. She couldn't specifically say where she was, but things just looked like home. She wondered if they might run into dad if he was out hunting. She swung her feet slightly; her toes were feeling kind of numb.

"Stop moving." Kratos ordered grumpily."Or I'll make you walk."

Estelle stopped for a moment, "Put me down!" she whined after a while.

Kratos paused; they had made rather good time that day thanks to the fact that he had not had to cater to her much slower pace. For every step Kratos took she had to take about two and a half. The part about making her walk had been a somewhat empty threat. He sighed, it would probably cause him more trouble later if he didn't just give the kid her way now. "Alright, but don't run off and walk really quietly."

Estelle shivered slightly as her bare feet touched the ground and she was hit with a wave of inexplicable loneliness. She knew something was wrong, but just couldn't bear to remember what it was. She looked up at Kratos, he seemed so worried. Estelle gulped down her fear, why would should they be worried!? They were almost home! That was a good thing! She let her lips form into a smile and grabbed his hand, "Let's go this way!" She said brightly and hauled him though some bushes.

The next thing she knew, Estelle was being yanked backward. She heard the sound of an unfamiliar voice followed by many voices. "RUN!" Kratos yelled and shoved her in the opposite direction. Head swimming, Estelle stumbled in the direction she had been pushed, but didn't go very far. Something told her that what lay in that direction was worse than where she was.

As soon as Kratos had seen what lay beyond the thick foliage, he had gone cold with fear. Behind the bushes, lying in wait, was a battalion of Elven soldiers. They had not seemed fully prepared, but their sheer number was what made them dangerous. How could he have been so blind!? How long had they been following!?

Years of repetitive training kicked in as he drew his sword to block the first incoming blow. In the blink of an eye, he countered it, and without missing a beat he moved on to the next opponent before the first had fallen. He hoped that Estelle could get away, but turning to see if she had was more than he could do as they flooded in all around him. His vision to blurred as the realization sank in that he couldn't fight his way out of this situation no matter how hard he tried. That was what he got for running foolishly into enemy territory.

He gritted his teeth as he remembered the last word of his father. "Live.", it was a word he had quickly thrown away in his own grief. But now he realized that that word had not only carried a hope from father to son, but a thousand years of human history. The line of kings, warriors, and protectors ran through his blood and spoke through his name. Shame choked his thoughts as he realized his own selfishness; he had abandoned everything, his homeland, his people. Tears stung his eyes, he couldn't die here. He let his despair morph and corrupt itself until he shook with rage. He was the last Aurion, and he would not die by the hands of these murderers.

He didn't care if he had to cut through every single miserable creature in that forest. As he slashed his way forward, he looked into the face of every opponent, saw the fear in their eyes as they each in turn, took their last breath; those that had lived and died by the sword stood at the back of his mind and pushed him onward. Was this how those bastards had felt when they had struck down every man in the village and turned on the women and children? This intoxicating sense of control? His enemies now fled for their lives, mercilessly, he cut them down, twisting his sword in their backs and savagely tearing it away, a dark smile formed on his face.

"Stop!" came the small voice prying at the edge of his stormy consciousness, "STOP IT!" It distracted him from the task at hand. Swiftly he turned to silence it, his sword raised high above his head. But before he could bring it down he felt something squeezing around his waist. "Stop it!" Estelle sobbed as she clung to Kratos for fear of the person he had transformed into before her eyes. "They're running away. They're running away." She repeated over and over again as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Estelle..." As he returned to his senses, he looked around; the small patch of woods had become a gristly battlefield. Broken bodies lay everywhere and the leaves glistened red with new blood. He become aware of his own arms, poised above his head, ready to cut down the one he had chose to protect. Blood dripped over his wrists from the cold instrument of death that rested in his hands.

With disgust, he threw it away, his stomach turned and he was overcome by nausea as he could not help but look at what he'd done. He had killed before, never had he felt such a high level of satisfaction at such gruesome acts. He stumbled away from the sobbing girl, and was sick in the bushes. With every breath, came the overwhelming smell of blood and Kratos thought that he might faint from the horror of it all. However, he was momentarily distracted by a voice on the other edge of the battlefield.

"I mean no harm!" came the firm but cautious call as a figure emerged from the trees, hands raised above their shoulders. "I only wish to talk."


	6. Reunion

((Alright, so this one is a bit slow, but I now have a very definite direction for at least the next few chapters! For starters there will be the appearances of at least THREE real characters. Though only one of them will have a speaking part, feel free to speculate all you want, though it can't be too hard since the selection is rather small~ Oh! one other thing~ I read through chapter 5 and realized that there were some major editing problems and changed a good amount of the second half. I was happy with the result though it is arguably a bit more violent .;;. ALSO! I have some illustrations today! One is a random pic of 4028 year old Kratos (Here: http ://i640 .photobucket. com/ albums/ uu122/ Oridesu/ EPSON002 . jpg?t =1257229934 ) Yes, I was indeed too lazy to draw a shirt, make of that what you will... I also drew a bit of the opening scene from chapter 5! (Here: http ://i640 .photobucket. com /albums /uu122 /Oridesu /EPSON001 . jpg? t= 1257224407 ) Yes, that is my lame interpretation/attempt at what Kratos might have looked like at 14. He looks all angsty~ That's Estelle over on the side. She's actually -supposed- to be riding on his shoulders but I ran out of room to do that properly so she's riding piggy back. Oh well~ that may not be annoying to anyone but me.. or annoying for completely different reasons... Oh well~ Anyways~ Happy reading, review, and watch out for updates because I plan to update very soon! ))

For a moment, Kratos couldn't react. The world continued to sway back and forth as the stranger waited for an answer. He rallied his strength and got to his feet, turning vaguely in the direction of the new person. Estelle had stopped sobbing for the moment, though fear was written all over her form as she stumbled backward to the farthest edge of the bloodied land, regarding both the stranger and Kratos with equal anxiety.

With a jolt of momentary panic, he realized that they were defenseless. His sword lay about five feet away, where he had thrown it down. Looking over at it, he considered his situation, with effort, he lifted his head to get a good look at the person who had just arrived.

"Please," The pristine elf gestured an elegantly gloved hand, "By all means, retrieve your sword if it would make you feel more comfortable." His silver and gold colored armor glinted in the overcast light. His long white hair was tied in an expertly quaffed ponytail. Nothing about his appearance was a stitch out of place. It was an incongruous scene as he stood among the bloodied corpses of his countrymen.

The Elven knight stepped forward a few paces, making light clinking sounds with each step. Kratos noticed he had an unusual weapon on his belt; it was pair of daggers joined at each end by a long chain. The chain, which was now clipped up on his belt, was the source of the light, musical sound. It lingered as he stopped and surveyed the clearing, a look of perfect sadness and regret was briefly reflected from his intense, sky-blue eyes. The color struck Kratos as being familiar, but he didn't care to think beyond that for the moment.

Glowering, he picked up his sword. In one motion, he flicked off the blood and sheathed it, "What do you want?" Kratos stood straight up and made sure he was between this person and Estelle. They were obviously a high officer in the Elven military, but it wasn't just that which made Kratos dislike the precise soldier. If there had been anything he had learned these past two years was that those who hid their faults so easily often had the most dire faults.

The sad look vanished as soon as he heard Kratos speak, it changed to a look of calm patience. "I would like to thank you," He looked past Kratos to the waif that cowered far behind him, "For protecting my niece." He walked a bit closer and held out his hand, addressing the child directly, "You've gotten so big since I last saw you, Estelle." He made to step pass Kratos, but stopped when the young swordsman made it clear what the consequence of that would be. Amber clashed with cerulean as they stared each other down in close proximity. Kratos had to look upward to meet his eyes. Despite everything he had been through, his body was still that of a fourteen year old boy. This was all the clearer when he stood against the older man.

Now he knew why the man's eye color was familiar, it was the same as Estelle's. It was the only feature they shared, but it was decisively present. Kratos broke his gaze with the elf and looked behind him to where the girl was watching silently. He somehow found it hard to take that an officer of the Elven military would have allowed his men to chase down his own niece. He gave the man one more dark look before turning back to Estelle, "Do you know him?" Kratos asked her seriously.

The little girl nodded her head, her face still pinched in a grim expression of fear. It was unclear if the fear came from the presence of this uncle or if she was just afraid because of the situation. Her voice was surprisingly steady as she began to speak, "Uncle Alvar..."

Estelle didn't know what to say next, she had met her uncle only once before, a very long time ago. He was her mother's younger brother and she was always telling her stories of when they had grown up together. Mom really loved her family, even the ones that lived in the village. She said that they were just, "blinded by their own darkness", whatever that meant. Estelle had always liked mom's stories, but Dad had always gone silent when mom talked about her family, a look of pain lingering on the corners of his mouth. She had asked why before, but no one ever answered her. She was hit with a wave of homesickness at the memories of her parents, she wanted nothing more than to forget everything and go home.

"You remember me? I'm so glad." He smiled kindly and Estelle responded with a small, nervous acknowledgment. He stepped back a little and addressed Kratos this time, "I have been looking everywhere for her." His eyebrows knit at the memory of the trial, "I'm afraid that there has been some discord within my unit. The night before last, a small group decided, against my orders, to purge the local wilderness of half elves. Sadly, my sister and her _husband_ nearly fell victim." He seemed to stumble over the mention of his brother in law though the tremor in his voice was very slight. "However, everyone escaped without harm" he smiled again, "and I have been given the task of finding little Estelle."

Kratos bristled, he wasn't about to let Estelle be dragged off on the word of an Elf, but to his dismay, the child's demeanor was slowly changing. She came forward to where the men stood and looked up at her uncle, "Everyone's okay?" Tears rose up in the girls eyes as she finally accepted what had happened. He voice became less steady as she covered her face with her hands, "B-but all those soldiers came, they-they--"

Swiftly, Alvar swept the girl into his arms, "Hush", he said comfortingly, "there's no reason to fear anymore. You're safe, my dear." Estelle buried her face in his chest and continued to cry. His strong arms closed around her and for the first time, she felt truly safe. Not only safe from danger, but from all the unpleasant realities of the world.

He flashed Kratos a look of silent triumph, if Estelle chose to come to him, there was nothing that could be done. The boy's face was twisted in powerless anger. He knew something was wrong, but he could do nothing to stop it. Alvar began to walk away, he turned around and beckoned, "Please follow me to the village, I understand they you have quite a distrust for my people, but we are not so uncivilized as to forsake those that have helped us. You shall be generously compensated."

"I don't want your money." Kratos snarled, but followed behind him. It may not do any good, but he would continue to protect Estelle for as long as possible.


	7. No Goodbyes

((Okay, so IM A HORRIBLE HORRIBLE LIAR!! There are no new canon's in this chapter, but I just cant bring myself to make it longer than about 1500 words. After that point my mind starts to go all fuzzy and I lose interest and then my writing sucks!! (Even worse than now) But I will say that I have major plans to introduce a few real characters within the current story arch. Its just that I don't know how long it will take me to get there until I've written it. Though It shouldn't be too long! I'm sort of on a roll this week and should have the next chapter done in a few days. As always, please review and I hope you don't think it sucks! Seeya soon~

EDIT- goddammit! so many typos! This is what I get for updating at 1 in the morning! LOL I am fixing them now~))

It was the wee hours of the morning. The sun was just starting to dust its thin light over the idyllic little village. Everyone, save for a few guards, slept silently in their comfortable wooden cottages. Kratos took a deep breath, last night's storm had washed the air clean. Despite the conflict and pain that still gnawed at every corner of his consciousness, he enjoyed the moment. Closing his eyes in brief meditation, he listened to the drops falling from the still-wet eaves and felt the solid wood of the porch he sat on. The still morning made it easy to imagine himself to be somewhere else. It wasn't where he'd been and it wasn't where he would go. It was place that existed only in dreams, somewhere where this war had never happened. It was a naive thing to do, but for one brief moment he silenced his own disturbing thoughts.

He was aroused by the sound of a passing guard who shot him a look of blatant hatred and fear before hurrying along. Kratos's momentary contentment slipped away. Here, he was the monster, the soulless barbarian who had personally slaughtered husbands, fathers, brothers. He recalled yesterday afternoon for the millionth time since that moment...

A small crowd had been waiting at the entrance as the three of them arrived. The few survivors of the battle had beat them home, bringing stories the demon who had killed without conscience, even as his enemies had begged for their lives. The villagers had waited in distress, knowing that "Elder Alvar", as they called him, had not yet returned. On arrival, there had been relief followed by rage. Kratos gritted his teeth and covered his face, but the voices of the villagers wouldn't fall silent. The faces and words played over in his head.

"Elder!" an older-looking man had come hobbling out of the crowd as soon as they had come into sight. "My boy--" he reached out ahead of him in a gesture of desperate hope, "Where is he?"

Like waves washing over sand, sympathy washed over Alvar's smooth countenance.

"You said you would look after him, it was his first mission! He's only a boy after all..." His voice began to quaver as he desperately searched his leader's face for any sign of hope.

Alvar took an arm away from Estelle and placed it on the shoulder of the mourning father, "His death was not in vain. Let his memory be one of honor, my son."

"No no no no no..." Kratos whispered to himself, remembering the old man's look of utter despair, Kratos was crippled by the pain that he had caused. And what had he gained? Retribution? He now realized what a foolish and ill-fated goal that was. There was no honor in dragging others down with you. The faces of those he had lost flashed before his eyes and he knew that if an afterlife existed, he would never meet them there, not after the way he had drenched their memory in blood. What would mother have thought? The woman who had unselfishly begged for the lives of her children in place of her own. He had used the swordsmanship taught by his father to commit the same manner of violence that had cut him down. Despair flooded around him. Now the faces of his family wore the same look as the villagers, a look of sad revulsion.

There was a creak in the porch on which he was sitting. The sudden sound made him jump. He turned around, half expecting nothing to be there, but to his mild surprise there stood Estelle watching him from the doorway of her uncle's house. She smiled as their eyes met. It was a warm smile with many subtleties, entirely unlike the calculated projections that elves seemed to favor in polite society.

"Hi Mr. Kratos." she said in cheerful whisper, though uncertainty flickered in her eyes when he was slow to respond.

"Estelle..." he said slowly, the same sad smile coming to his face, "You should be asleep, you'll worry that uncle of yours." The smallest bit of snark crept into his voice at the mention of Alvar. The Elf still rubbed him the wrong way. Though Kratos couldn't say that he had been anything but the perfect host. It was thanks to the hospitality of him and his wife that he was clean and well fed for the first time in a while.

"How can they worry if they're asleep?" She girl gave a childish smirk and sat down on the porch next to him. Estelle had been well taken care of, her long hair shone brightly and she wore a pair of brand-new pajamas made out of some warm-looking Elven cloth. "Though I guess they might want me to sleep more so I can get healthier... Then I can introduce you to Mom and Dad and Rael and Zaire!" She swung her legs in excitement and continued to chatter about her family, "Zaire's a big jerk, but he's still fun to beat up! Rael is your age I think! I call her big sister, because well, she is my sister..." Kratos's mood darkened. The only thing that had been missing from the gracious reception was Estelle's family. Alvar said that he had taken them to a much safer place that was about half a days journey from the village by foot. He said that he would take Estelle there when she had gotten her strength back. "--and mom can talk to trees! Its the best!"

Of course he didn't buy the story, not from the mouth of someone so insincere, but Estelle had bought it without question and who was he to judge after what he had done? He wistfully watched her face as she gave him an overview of all the things she deemed to be most interesting about her family. She looked so happy as she recounted stories and facts about her life. It explained a few things that Kratos had been wondering about before. Particularly her skill at hunting, apparently, she went out with her father every morning to catch food. An outing which she said Kratos was invited to join because he wasn't a big loudmouth like her stupid brother. He remained silent, not wanting to ruin her high hopes. Even if Alvair wasn't lying, he would not be there to make that journey back with her.

"Mr. Kratos?" her inquiry brought the troubled young man back to his senses.

"Ah, what?"

"You're coming with us right?", She reached out and touched his arm, "No one will care that you're different." She looked down at her hands, trying to explain something that she didn't fully understand, "Dad's like you too, sort of, though he can use magic..." there was a pause as she tried to think of a better reason for him to come, "Maybe he can teach you!"

"Believe me, I can't learn magic. Its a physical impossibility." He skirted the issue, hoping that she might drop it on her own.

"I don't know what that is." She skirted the issue as well, giving Kratos a petulant look, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes.

"It means that I don't belong here, Estelle." Kratos said softly, trying to pry himself away as kindly as possible.

"But you have to!" She burst into tears, panic coming through her words, "What if--what if it happens again!" She clung tightly to his arm, "You have to keep us safe!!" Kratos looked down at the poor child. She had been through many horrors during the past few days and while she was quick to once again find happiness, she would always be affected by that trauma. Never again would she have the same sense of security as before.

He looked back at the still-dark house. It was a place where life might not always be easy for the little girl, but it would always be relatively safe. There would be, at least, a roof overhead and someone who knew her to be family. He sighed, it was hard, but he would have to make this a short goodbye.

"You'll be safe where you are," Gently, but strongly enough as to be effective, Kratos removed Estelle from his arm, "but I have to go." He resisted the urge to comfort her in any way, it was a cold thing to do, but it was for the best. She needed to know that following after him would get her nowhere. He picked up his pack, which had been sitting next to him all along and turned toward the main village gate.


	8. A New Day and a Tough Journey

((Gosh I had trouble with this one... Too brain dead to make any random comments ATM. There are probably a million typos but I hope ya'll like it... review please if its okay.... ***passes out for a very very long time*** Oh, and uh, here is something to maybe amuse you while Im sleeping~ Picture here: http :// i640. photobucket . com/ albums /uu122 /Oridesu /Theundyingangelofgettindown -1. jpg and for your benefit I will post my own personal comments on the picture here~ _"This is the real reason Yuan left Cuxis. Sure there was all that stuff about them dishonoring Martel's memory and just being jerks... But really!? All night disco parties, What does Kra-- OH MY GOD KRATOS NOO!!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING SUCH A THING!?" _lol anyway have fun and if your retina's are burned to a crisp, my work here is done! :D

EDIT- GODDAMMIT!!! *goes of on profane tirade* FANFICTION dot NET TOOK OUT ALL MY TRANSITIONS!! GRRRR!!! I'll try to fix it...))

"Why on earth didn't you kill him!?", The woman's voice carried easily through the thin wooden walls, "Surely a child like that could have posed you no threat!?"

Estelle pressed her lips together tightly as she pretended that she was still asleep in the next room over. Aunt Kaere and Uncle Alvar had just woken up. Kratos was long gone, which seemed to surprise no one but Estelle herself. Now they were simply picking up a conversation that had not taken place last night.

"You weren't there, Kaere!" Estelle scrunched her eyes together at her uncle's somewhat heated reply, "The boy was something unnatural! You saw the body count!"

Estelle pulled the blanket up more tightly around her face. Yesterday, both her aunt and uncle had acted like they liked Kratos. After all, she would have died if not for him. But now, among themselves, they had changed their tune.

She heard her aunt make a frustrated, non-committal sound, then she said something in a low voice, this time Estelle couldn't catch what was said. Her uncle replied, and this time she caught a few words.

"...her mother's gift." Alvar mumbled, "...it wont be hard to overcome that human taint..." She sat up in bed, straining to hear his words. Her aunt replied again in an undertone, though this time she sounded more clam.

Estelle's heart gave a small jolt as footsteps slowly approached her door. Quickly, she lay back down and closed her eyes, she relaxed her face as best she could and created the illusion of sleep.

............

A twig snapped in the distance. Was that a voice? Muscles tightened as he almost reached for his sword, but stopped himself for fear of what that might bring. From the area of the noise, a small animal came scuffling up a tree. He gave the chipmunk an ungracious look. The creature took no notice as it went about its daily business, totally unaware of the incredble danger it had just snubbed.

Kratos gave a long sigh, he was far past questioning his own sanity and simply tried to cope by moving forward. Whether he was crazy or not didn't really matter anymore. All that mattered was escape from this green-colored hell hole. Breeze rattled through the top branches, sounding like the whispers of the dead. Kratos hadn't been scared by a ghost story since his first hunting trip, but now the tales of those souls who still walked the earth pulled at the edges of his mind. They turned the bright, forested landscape into a world of death.

With labored breathing, he kept an even pace, even as the stray brush catching on his pants brought to mind the skeletal hands of the denizens of hell. He resisted the urge to run, to run from these fears would be to acknowledge their existence, to give them the power to become reality. Instead he kept his eyes straight ahead and moved forward.

............

"Little one," The kind voice called from the doorway, "Its time to wake up." Estelle continued to lie still as her aunt's footsteps made their way around the bed to the direction her face was pointed. When they stopped, a hand gently brushed the hair out of her tentatively closed eyes. "You'll sleep the day away, my dear."

Slowly, Estelle opened her eyes. For a moment she couldn't look at the young woman. She was too afraid of the hatred she had heard in her voice before. Images of her pretty, nut-brown features twisted in rage and disgust came to mind. But when she finally got up the resolve, she saw that her aunt's demeanor had remained gentle, as she looked down at the child she radiated with genuine affection.

"Where's Mr. Kratos?", Estelle asked to expunge herself of any suspicion. She felt a pain in her chest and had to gulp back tears at what she already knew the answer to be. She had wanted Kratos to stay more than anything, but that cold look in his eyes had been too final, too hard to argue with. Though now she tried to take comfort in the truth of his words. As he had said, he didn't belong in the village, but Estelle was pretty sure she didn't belong there either, she was, after all, only waiting to go back home.

She was caught by surprise at the genuine empathy that came over her aunt's face, "He left before we got up." as Estelle's eyes began to fill with tears once again, Kaere softly stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry, I know how important he must have seemed to you."

The little girl hastily rubbed at her eyes, her cheeks burned from the tears she had already shed earlier that morning. She was sick of crying and took pride in being tough. Hopefully she would get over herself by the time she got home. She sat up and looked up at her aunt calmly, her voice only shook a little as she replied, "No, I'm fine."

Kaere smiled kindly and patted the girl on the head, "Well aren't you strong."

"I am," Estelle stated resolutely, "Can we make the journey home today?"

"Ah-", the young woman momentarily stumbled over her words, "Maybe not today. How about breakfast?" She smiled brightly, masking the hesitance in her expression. Estelle's eyebrows knit together, but she took the change of subject for the moment.

"Yeah." she nodded and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly in a polite smile.

............

Single mindedness and the wish to escape brought Kratos far in the few hours he had walked since dawn, however physical exhaustion was becoming all too hard to argue with. The old wound from a few days ago was threatening to reopen and though he had felt better after eating, the lack of sleep was making his head pound. After tripping over one too many rocks and nearly breaking his head open he had to stop and rest.

A soft light filtered through the trees which seemed to grow thicker and stronger in this area. It occurred to him that this was where Estelle had said her family lived. For a moment he wasn't sure when she had said it and then realized it had been this morning, before he had had to break the news of his departure. He hadn't even been listening, but some how the information had found its way into his memory.

He sighed heavily, the fact that the little girl had not cried or chased after him had made him feel even guiltier. She had merely stood there as he walked away, her small face set in a look of grim resignation. She understood more than she seemed to want to and it was moments like that which made it all the more obvious. But whatever the case, Estelle would be okay where she was, Alvar may not have been the most genuine, but his young wife Kaere had been overjoyed to dote on the little girl. The couple had no children and Kratos felt that it was not for lack of desire.

Furthermore, he had noticed that while Estelle looked slightly off from the other elves in the village, she was not a half elf. Kratos really couldn't say more because he didn't really know, but then again Alvair had said that her family had been caught up in the purging of half-elves from the countryside. Nothing was adding up. Kratos felt his eyes start to drift shut. He embraced the sensation of numb exhaustion and tried to abandon such speculation. It was now none of his business.

............

Over the course of the morning Estelle ate a leisurely breakfast and allowed "Auntie Kaere", as she wished to be called, to brush and re-braid her hair and dress her in some very pretty clothes which seemed to be almost new. Estelle decided that she liked her aunt, even though she treated her like a baby sometimes. She would have to be sure to tell everyone at home how nice she was.

After she was ready for the day, there wasn't much to do. Auntie Kaere wouldn't let her help with chores, and Estelle was still nervous about interacting with the local children. She had never had friends her own age before and didn't think that they would like her. Estelle watched her aunt go about the daily chores, bored. She glanced out the window and sighed.

"You can go play outside if you like.", Kaere had quickly taken notice of the child's boredom, "Just be sure not to go too far into the forest."

"Oh, thanks." Estelle was surprised and pleased with this new development, Aunt Kaere had struck her as a bit overprotective. But soon she had wandered out into the back garden of the house. Being the house of an Elven elder, it was set in the far back of the village, with the forest coming right up to the edge of the plot.

Estelle took a deep breath, it was good to finally get some fresh air she told herself as she looked at the well-cultivated herbs and, beyond them, the towering trunks of the forest. A kind of longing began to gnaw at her heart as she looked upon the majestic trees. She felt sorrow radiating from the land beyond the garden and wanted to go to it, to comfort it like she would a friend. She glanced back to the house, she wasn't being watched. Still, she pretended to be interested in a large flowering bush growing at the border. When she came to it she found that she actually quite liked the look of the big, silky flowers. Reaching out to examine one, she turned her back on the dark woods.

Out of the dim light came the damp sound of big paws pounding over the soft soil, but the little girl heard them too late. As she turned she saw the great, furry form leaping towards her.

............

Sleep was an eternal hell. His nightmares pursued him and his own physical shell wouldn't let him escape. Countless times, he struggled to open his eyes, only to be pulled back in by the deadly pull of unconsciousness. He lived and relived scenes of the past with shards of the future. He watched his family and comrades fall, but this time, he struck them down himself. He tried to stop but his hands moved on their own. And always beside him stood a small child, dripping with blood. Sometimes it looked like one or more of his younger siblings, sometimes it had the face of Estelle and more often than not it was nobody he knew but they all had one thing in common, a long knife though their chest. One, Kratos was certain, he had put there himself. "Murderer," they whispered in a voice that wasn't human, "Murderer..." From the ground, a million tendrils of bloody darkness came up to devour him. He was paralyzed as they flowed over his legs, then arms, now they covered his face-

Kratos woke with a start, his first impression of the world was that it had gotten darker. Had those tendrils been real!? Had he really been dragged down to hell? He scrambled to escape and found that he could move now. He looked up and saw that the shadow had come from somewhere else. His breath caught in his throat as he saw that someone now stood over him.


	9. TRAITORS

((Hey! I'm having a tough week IRL! I'm sorry this chapter is so short and took so long to get out. XDD I have no pictures this week I'm sorry XDD Maybe next week... anyway, have a great week and I will update as soon as I can!!! Oh yes~ and if you haven't noticed I am just a bit morbid when i write... not sure why but boy can it be fun and dramatic!! Next week there will be a rather story-heavy chapter I think~ I sure hope there is~ Oh! and I just had the idea to ask questions that ppl can answer if they review. You don't have to answer but yeah~ maybe it'll be fun! So the question is who besides Kratos are you excited to hear about in the future? (It can be anyone lol I'm just a bit curious.) Anyways~ Bye and please Reveiw!))

Both parties were still. Kratos, because his brain had not yet gathered enough sanity to convince his body to move. However, the other party exhibited no fear or surprise as they silently watched the young man doing his best to gather up the scattered bits of his consciousness. They knew that in time he would see and react, they didn't mind waiting for a bit.

Slowly, Kratos absorbed the messages his senses were sending him he looked up from his place on the ground. The first thing he noticed was the long hair. It shone with silvery-green twinges as it hung past and concealed the figure's face in its shadow as the sun streamed in from behind. He sat up, looking past the shadow to the face beyond.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked softly without hesitation. She lifted her head slightly and Kratos saw her pretty face. She had kind emerald eyes and a pale ivory complexion framed with light green hair. Her face wore a look of vague concern but held no fear.

"I'm fine." Kratos said definitively as he got to his feet and started to walk past her. The girl was tallish for her age but seemed like she might be a few years younger than him. Kratos did a double take as he noticed a sling on the girl's back. For a moment, he saw nothing unusual until he noticed a baby sleeping peacefully within its folds. The child's golden hair moved a little with each small breath it took.

"That's good." The girl smiled warmly and then her face turned darker as she seemed to remember something, "I'm sorry to ask but-"

Kratos didn't give her time to finish. He simply looked at the two of them with suspicion and started to continue on his way. He did not need anymore pitiable traveling companions.

"Wait!", The girl called, she jogged up to him, keeping up with his fast walking pace, "I'm not looking for more than an hour of your time. Please!" There was something about her tone that made Kratos stop and look at her. She was not pleading in desperation, her calm delivery made the plea seem almost like an invitation to be part of something greater. It made him feel like he was the only one that could do what she was asking. Her expression was hard to read as she waited for his answer, there was something calming and comfortable about her manner despite the intense sadness that dwelt in her eyes.

Kratos nodded brusquely, not sure why he was doing this.

"Thank you." Relief washed over her face and Kratos realized how truly nervous she had been before. However, in moments her eyebrows were knit together at the thought of something. "Please follow me, but, I have to warn you, it isn't a pleasant sight.", she lead him in a direction.

............

"You know," Estelle said with a confused frown as she ran her hand through the creature's green and white fur, "You're the ugliest wolf I've ever seen." The creature merely whined and moved its head in a way that seemed to say that he would very much like to be scratched behind the ears. Estelle was glad to oblige, but continued to wear a look of bewilderment.

When the weird giant wolf-rabbit-thing had come running at her Estelle had though she was done for. However, when it had pinned her to the ground it had merely given her face and hair a very thorough sniffing. Then, it had stepped back a few paces and looked at her intently. Such a thing was a bit disconcerting coming from an animal, but eventually, curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had gotten close enough to find that the creature was actually quite friendly. Or it at least seemed to be acting that way, which was all Estelle could really expect these days.

"Though, I bet you're probably not a wolf are you? You're a~"

The creature whined and stood up, cutting off her idle pondering. If Estelle hadn't known better she might have thought that it had just remembered something. It shook out its fur, looking, if an animal could, somewhat annoyed at itself for being distracted. It went back to intently sniffing the ground but it was to no avail, the creature didn't find what it was looking for.

It went back to looking at the girl intently. Estelle started to feel a bit more nervous, its dark-eyed gaze possessed too much intelligence to be that of your average beast, friendly or not. It was looking at her like she knew something that it wanted to know. She felt vaguely nauseous as she wondered what that might be.

"What do you want?" was her solemn question. Her previously playful demeanor was gone and she stared down the thing. Images that she knew were just horrible dreams began to resurface. Whatever they were, they were all wrong. Uncle Alvar had said so. She would be home very very soon.

The thing whined and cocked it head and that was certainly not sympathy in its canine voice because that was impossible. She took a deep breath, there was no way this animal was looking at her because of those things. It may have been smart but it wasn't a mind reader!

"Oh never mind." Estelle tried not feel so threatened. "I'm going inside." The creature whined and started to follow her. "Don't follow me!" She said angrily before stomping across the garden and running inside.

.............

"We're here." The girl stopped abruptly and slowly turned to Kratos with a look of mixed remorse. She was breathing hard and sweating a little. Her already pale skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor. It was unusual since they had not traveled very far.

At the same he felt something solid and flat under his foot. It was a board, the kind used to build fences. He noticed that more than a few were lying among the trees, not yet covered by the quick-growing vegetation of the forest floor. They looked weather worn, but the places where they were broken were still as pale as new wood.

The girl steadied herself on a large, solid fencepost. Kratos met her eyes with firm confusion. Did she want him to fix the fence? However, it seemed that she had a more difficult request than that. A certain sorrowful silence permeated the area and while the girl was very good at staying calm, it was obvious that she didn't wish to take another step forward.

"Recently, my brother and I lost our parents." The girl started directly into a story before the young swordsman had the chance to ask any practical questions. "Being half-elves, its been hard..." She trailed off for a second and Kratos studied her features. Being raised around humans his whole life, the differences between elves and half-elves were only obvious to him through side-by-side comparison. He tended to dislike both, but the last few days had been so strange that he couldn't really bring himself to hate anyone but himself. It was a strange, numb kind of feeling. "B-But this isn't really about us." The girl stumbled over her words and looked at the ground she spoke faster but was still slow to get to the point. She was turned all the way away from Kratos, not looking at anything anymore, "There was a family who treated us very kindly but--"

Kratos was growing tired listening to her story, he wanted to help her and be on his way. He wasn't even sure why he WAS helping her. What had happened to his new personal rule?

Without speaking, he began to step forward. Whatever she needed help with probably applied to what lay beyond the broken fence.

Easily he brushed aside some of the greenery to reveal a scene of charred browns and blacks. His heart beat faster as he took one more step into the clearing.

He was standing in the remains of a vegetable garden. Just a few inches from his toes there lay a single tomato that had somehow escaped the flames. It was still ripe, shining brightly on the blackened earth. A breeze blew faintly across the clearing and an indescribably tainted smell hit Kratos in the face. His whole body clenched in revulsion, he barley managed to maintain self control.

He laboriously looked up. knowing all too well what that smell must mean...

"TRAITORS", the sign read in rough reddish-brown lettering. It hung from a heavy wooden frame and from that frame, in order of height, hung four limp bodies.


	10. The Honor of a Statue

((Ugh! Writers block much!? I'm dyyying. Anyway sorry this chapter doesn't have all the stuff I originally wanted to cover in it... But once again my 1500 word block is killing me XD really why cant I write more!? Well I do acctually have some drawings today. They are part of a new series of Omake's I'm starting called "Things I Chose Not to Mention" which will just be a bunch of silly stuff that -could- have happened in the course of this fanfiction but didn't because they would have been stupid. Today I have Chapter Nine's Edition ( Here: http :// i640 . photobucket . com / albums / uu122 / Oridesu / OddBeginnings .jpg ) I personally think that this would explain a great deal... As always whether I continue this omake series will be sporadic to say the least lol I also have a picture drawn by my BF (Who is way better at drawing than I). It's a rather special interpretation of a line from chapter 7... ( Here: http :// i640 . photobucket . com / albums / uu122 / Oridesu / Misinterpretation. jpg ) On another note, I Started a Soul Eater fanfiction. Check it out if you like Soul Eater! Anyway sorry I've been lazy lately and I hope you enjoy the chapter and please review!! Bye!!))

Not too long ago, Kratos had imagined himself to be used to the unpleasant realities of living in such a war torn world. However he felt that he now understood what it felt like to have your spirit broken. Before, he had thought the sharp pain and longing despair to be as far as one's heart could sink into hell. However, he realized now that there was another place below the plane of fire, something much worse.

As he looked upon the family of four, or the tattered remnants of their bodies-- made unrecognizable with yellow-brown bruises and dried blood. He couldn't react, not for fear, disgust, or pity on behalf of these poor souls, there was pain, but like a sliver of glass, it had been shoved too far under his skin to be seen or removed. The smell of newly rotting flesh made his stomach feel ill, but aside from that physical revulsion, his emotions were gone. He knew how he should feel, but it was as if the connection to his mind and heart had been severed. His conciousness dwelt alone and imprisoned within the confines of his head.

He turned back to the girl who had lead him there. Solemn tears were running down her cheeks as she looked upon the tangled corpses. Kratos looked at the sign that seemed to be written in their blood. "Traitors"?

"What was their crime?", He asked the girl matter-of-factly. This was obviously a display to instill fear into those who might oppose the local government, but the reasons were unclear.

"The harboring of an unauthorized half-elf," Despite her tears, the girl's voice gained a steely tone, "and general impropriety.", when Kratos didn't reply she continued, "There was a poster. but I ripped it down. I had the intention of cutting them down and giving them a proper burial. But--" Mid-sentence, there was a small noise. The very beginning of a cry. In an instant the girl was distracted "Mithos--" She crooned lightly, taking the small child from the sling where he had been sleeping. She rocked her brother back and fourth until he fell silent. "But I lack both the tools and physical strength." She continued, averting her eyes. It was obvious that she was ashamed of her own weakness, but she understood that pride would get her nowhere.

"I see." Kratos said in acknowledgment, though he still could not bring himself to feel any empathy.

"If you could please just cut them down, then you can be on your way." The girl said apologetically.

For a moment, Kratos considered doing just that. Slicing the ropes of these victims and leaving, never thinking about this moment again. But he knew what a terribly cold thing that was to do, it scared him how quickly he was turning into a monster, how easy it was. He stood there in silence, auburn hair covering his apathetic gaze.

"Please." a pleading tone came into the girl's voice. "I'll even pay you."

Kratos answered by stepping forward and ripping down the wooden sign. Then, in another smooth motion, he sliced through the ropes. Just because he couldn't cry for these people, didn't mean he didn't know what was right.

.............

"Estelle! What have you done to yourself!?" Aunt Kaere exclaimed. The girl had come running through door the looking distressed.

"I fell." The girl said flatly. There was no way Estelle was telling her aunt about the creature in the forest. She didn't even want to think about it herself.

Her aunt sighed and gave her a kindly suspicious look. "I told you not to go into the forest didn't I?"

"But I had to." she said without any elaboration. She looked back towards the tall trees, she still felt that despondent pull. Something was wrong and it had to be fixed. Estelle knew she might play a role in fixing it, but something still stopped her from knowing what that might be.

"You did?" The woman cocked her head in confusion, a loose strand of dark hair slipping over her eye.

"Yeah." Estelle nodded slowly, not wanting to say more. There was pause where her aunt scrutinized her face.

"Well, I suppose you did!" She said with a smile, "But next time, lets take better care of your clothes shall we?"

"Okay." Estelle nodded again and wondered what she meant by "next time". She wasn't going to be here that much longer.

After her clothes had been cleaned, by magic of course, Estelle quietly looked at some "books" that Aunt Kaere said were what children her age should be studying. The information wasn't new, but Estelle was throughly fascinated by the manner in which they worked. Instead of having pages made of paper and and a cover, they were just sheets of pretty blue glass. When you wanted to read something, you just touched it and you could scroll through the words that appeared. There were pictures too!

For the rest of the day, the books kept her mind occupied and she managed to ignore both the forest, her own curiosity about that strange creature, and the growing feeling of loneliness. Except for one of the books, it had lots of pictures of a huge tree, strange metal-colored towers, and one small picture of something that looked exactly like the thing she had seen that day. She had quickly tossed that book aside, Estelle had no interest in knowing what might be going on. She simply wanted to go home and the more involved she became in this strange and complicated world, the more easily it might trap her.

.............

"Keep your money." Kratos said coolly. It was the only way he could really say anything. His voice reflected the nothingness that now seemed to soak his very existence. Even still, he knew that he would not become a monster. He had been raised right, he knew what a good person should do and now that he didn't have his own heart to tell him what was evil, he must fall back on the code of honor that had been drilled into him since his first fencing lesson. And then again, his own feelings had been the source of his sins, maybe he should have always paid more attention to the rules.

He surveyed the surroundings, the clearing was small. Besides the ruined garden, and grotesque display, the charred remains of a cottage filled the space. He turned his attention to the cottage's late residents. They were in horrible shape, but the corpses were still somewhat fresh, the face of Alvar, the Elven elder, flashed before his eyes. The snake had mentioned an incident a few days ago in which some of his troops had taken it upon themselves to "purge" the land of half elves. Kratos wondered if these people were the result. He looked back at the half-elf who had brought him here. She watching him with an expression similar to fear, but Kratos paid it no mind. Did these people resemble her? It was hard to tell through all the dried blood. The most he could gather from the battered remains was that there were was one tall person with reddish hair and three smaller individuals with white hair, the smallest of which being child-sized.

What an unpleasant fate. Somewhere with in his chest, the sliver grew a little bigger, but it still was too deep to be seen. It scared Kratos that he thought nothing of touching the cold bodies. He laid he four of the out a best he could, though each one lay in the same stiff posture as when they had hung. Kratos shivered, his hands were ice cold. Legend said that if you touched death, your soul would be taken little by little. Maybe, that's what had happened. The world did seem so far away...

He was startled out of his thoughts when the girl behind him spoke.

"Hey-" she stepped beside him, "I found a shovel." The instrument was charred, but sturdy enough to do the job. Kratos took it from her and laid it on the ground.

"Thank you." He said stoically. The grayness of twilight was starting to ebb its way into the clearing. If he was going to make a proper grave, he would have to start now. However, that was not the way things were done. He thought back to a time when he had been at liberty to mourn the passing of those he loved. He remembered his grandmother's death and the way his whole family had stayed up all night, paying respect to the one they had lost. It was tradition. He had not been able to do such a thing for his parents and siblings. They had died not unlike this family, not unlike so many, sliced and beaten and left in the dirt.

The girl was looking at him strangely, "We should start soon..."

"No." He looked up at the sky, he would conduct a vigil for all whom he had killed or failed to protect, It could not grant him absolution, but it was all he could do. "I shall bury them in the morning."

The girl studied his blank expression, confused.

"Tonight, I will show respect for the dead."


	11. The Sun on a Glacier

_((Omggg I'm drowning! This story has gone on for waaay too long! It was supposed to be short (like 10 chaps) but it's taken me so long to get the storyline going!! The arc that I'm –just- finishing was only supposed to cover the first 4 chapters… *sigh* not to mention I've told it all wrong!.. I'm thinking I should just bag the whole thing T.T though it's sad because there were other things I wanted to write… Oh but in other news, I broke my 1500 word barrier!! Yay!))_

_It was morning. Estelle could tell by the greenish light that filtered its way to the bed she shared with her sister. As always, she was ready for the day as soon as her eyes opened. What was the point of just lolling around in bed when there were so many fun things to do!? Too bad sis was squishing her to death!! "Wake up!" She said angrily as she braced herself against the wall and tried to kick her much older sister off. _

_"Don't... the pancakes don't make shoes..." The older girl mumbled sleepily Rael always said really random things when she was just waking up._

_"Moooom!!" Estelle whined, knowing her mother was bound to be somewhere and awake already. "Rael's squishing me and talking crazy again!!!"_

_"I am no--" Rael began to say, finally gaining a semblance of wakefulness, but stopped mid-sentence. A strange silence had overcome the forest. Both girls looked at each other, a bad feeling settling in the pit of their stomachs. _

_"What is it?" Estelle said in a whisper, but she too knew that feeling. It was the aura of death._

_"Stay here!" Despite her love of sleep, the older girl was quite awake now. She crossed the small cottage to the front door that lay open. Estelle ignored her order, following her out to the garden._

_Both girls breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the small plot behind the house. Their mother was standing in the garden. No matter what might be wrong, if mom was there everything would always be fine. At the approach of her children, the wise and beautiful woman turned around. _

_"--Mom its..." Rael began and then trailed off at the knowing look and solemn nod._

_"I know. My brother is searching for half elves again." She said this with absolute sureness but equal sadness._

_"Will he...?" _

_"No. Your Father and I were promised safety because of my status.", she turned and looked into the distance, "However, we cannot do anything to help our neighbors..." The great pain this caused her lingered in the set of her mouth._

_Estelle looked at her feet, she hated it when mom was sad, for some reason, it gave her a feeling of impermanence. It made her feel like her world could end any second. She thought about going back into the house. Someone should really go make sure that Zaire got his lazy bones out of bed..._

_All heads turned in surprise as someone came stomping thought the underbrush. Estelle's heart gave a sickening jolt as a big figure jumped out in front of her. She gave a small scream and tripped backwards, but the figure ran past her. _

_"Elda!" Estelle blinked a few times and realized that the figure was none other than her own father, "We have to get out of here."_

_"Why?" The Elf looked at her Half-Elf husband in confusion, "The agreement..."_

_"Your Father," He said between labored breaths, "is dead."_

_Estelle heard her mother's sharp intake of breath at the same time that the clearing was filled with the rumble of a hundred approaching armored boots--_

Estelle jerked awake, feeling as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. She felt rising panic as the clink of armor did not cease with her dream. Her breath quickened and only one thought filled her head. _They were coming! _She scrambled from the bed on which she lay. She wanted to scream but could only whimper as she desperately tried to untangle herself from the blankets. Her hand came down on something hard and flat. There was a small cracking noise and a jolt of strong magic ran up her arm and dissipated into the surrounding air.

The jolt brought her back to her senses. Slowly, she realized that she was in her uncle's house, laying on the same bed where she had been reading when she had fallen asleep. She lifted her hand to find that the source of the jolt of magic had been one of her aunt's books. In her frenzy, she had crushed one of the slabs of blue glass into splinters.

She looked upon the ruined technology with regret. She had rather liked those books and she felt bad about breaking something she had been given. At that thought, a twinge fear coursed through her veins. Maybe this small piece of spelled glass wasn't the only gift she was throwing away. The face of the boy who had saved her flashed before her eyes. Kratos? But he had left, she didn't owe him anything. Right?

She stood up and wandered toward the front room. She saw through a crack in the door that there were many men standing in the living room. They must have been the source of the armored footsteps. She recognized her uncle by the white and silver he wore. Such was the color of his station as elder. She opened the door a bit wider to see who else might be there but she was met swiftly by her aunt.

"Oh sweetie! you're awake!" She said in an undertone and glanced nervously at the group who paid her no mind. They were in deep and profound conversation.

"Who--" Estelle started to say but a hand gently covered her mouth.

"Estelle! You must be silent." She said in a shushed and serious tone, "Here." She handed the child a scrap of paper and pushed her towards the door, "Go get me those herbs from the garden."

"B-but--" She started to say, but she was already standing on the back porch.

.............

It took a few moments for the girl to realize what Kratos meant by "Show respect for the dead"; The closest thing to a funeral she had ever attended was the violent death of her parents as she hid with Mithos not far away. Their bodies had been thrown in a mass grave with all the other half elves who shared their fate. It occurred to her that humans did have a tradition that involved staying up all night to show respect for the dead, while they may not use it on those they did not respect.

A sad smile tugged at the edges of her eyes. This person was so strange. He was so young yet he seemed so cold and he seemed so cold yet he would take so much time to do something for people he had never met while alive. It wasn't her business, but she sorely wanted to know what made someone act like this.

She reached out her hand, "My name is Martel Yggdrasil.", She said plainly, "And my little brother is Mithos," she gesture to the child on her back who slept blissfully, "It's nice to meet you."

Kratos quirked an eyebrow, such an introduction came out of the blue, "Kratos Aurion." He said without taking her hand. He walked over to the place where the family lay and sat down next to them. It was the place he intended to stay all night.

"Right." Martel said calmly and sat down next to him. For a long while, they both sat in silence. Kratos concentrated, daring himself to feel something, anything that might remind him of his humanity. He tried dredging up memories of his family but their faces were oddly blurred. Why could he remember their faces?

There was a small scuffing sound to his left and he saw that the girl, Martel, had stood up.

"What is it?" He asked her, scanning for any threat.

"It's nothing," she replied, "It's just that I think I can make them look as they did in life." She looked down heavily, "It's not fair that they should be remembered like this."

"It isn't." Kratos agreed, though he found it hard to believe that it was possible to fix such a problem. He looked up at Martel who seemed confident in her own ability. A small edge of discomfort crept up his spine, as he saw the same pure-colored light collect in the girl's hand. He had been raised to fear magic. It was the evil weapon that had allowed the elves to come to this world. To humans, It was alien and thus it should be distrusted.

But as that light spread out, he could feel nothing from it but sincere warmth. He noticed that all his aches and pains were slowly disappearing. The warmth could not reach all the way into his soul, for it was locked too far away, but he felt a bit of the ice start to melt. An old proverb about weapons only being as bad as the people who used them came to mind, it must surely apply to magic as well.

When the light faded he looked down to see that she had done just as she had said she would. Before him lay the four bodies, no, the four people, he corrected himself, they all still held a deathly pallor, but their faces and bodies were clear of the wounds that had marred them before. He leaned forward to get a closer look, but was distracted as Martel fell to a sitting position just a bit too quickly.

He looked to her sharply, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." she said breathing very hard, "I just need a moment to rest."

Kratos could see that she didn't look well, but it wasn't his place to ask any more questions. So he simply nodded.

Now that the victims looked only asleep Kratos felt more disconcerted than he had before. It was as if they could get up and move any second. It was obvious now that the taller two were a man and a woman. The man was the one with orange-red colored hair. He was obviously a Half-Elf, his face possessing Elven characteristics but overall having that human hint of roughness. He was handsome, but his expression displayed the lines and scars of someone who had lived a hard life. Even in death, his face could not look peaceful. Kratos closed his eyes and remembered many others who had lived like this man. Ceaseless determination was a quality Kratos could always respect, but hoped that this person was finally in a place where it was no longer needed. Though, something about him nagged at Kratos' mind.

"Do you know their names?" He asked Martel, who seemed to have caught her breath.

"No, I only met them once and left very quickly." She said with regret, "But I know that they were well known among my people. A Half-Elf and Elf being so in love offered the hope that maybe one day we would all fit together."

_How interesting..._

Kratos took a look at the woman who lay next to her husband and his whole body took one horrible turn. Yep, she was Elven all right, a smooth oval-shaped face, long white hair. She looked just like her younger brother.


	12. A New Reality

(Oh wow! This one is crazy short and it took me forever to get it out!! I was dragged off to a wedding (not my own thankfully) in the middle of nowhere where they only have dial-up T.T so this is what I have for the moment. However... I have broken through my writer's block and so there will be another chapter up soon. The story shall be wrapping itself up in the coming chapters, but that does not mean that I'm done~)

_Once again, it was the still of the morning. Mist hung thick in the air. The moisture clung heavily to his clothes and choked his rushing breath. Every footfall came down with another sickening and painful heartbeat. He wanted to rest, but there was an urgency that he had not felt in what seemed like forever. Knowing what he had, how could he have made such careless and self-serving mistake? He stopped as the cluster of houses finally loomed into view._

_For a moment, his breath was the only sound._

o.o.o

Estelle sat with her knees up by her face. She closed her eyes tightly and focused on the creaking sound made by the wood structure on which she sat. She had felt it as soon as the damp air hit her. Something was wrong. Something somewhere was sucking the life out of the forest. No, not the forest, the whole world. It was as if a gash had opened up.

From this gash she felt the lifeblood of everything being siphoned away.

She heard a shuffling noise and a whine. The big white and green beast from before was eye to eye with her. It whined again and licked her hand. It knew somethign was wrong too. She looked up at the creature. Its eyes did glow with intelligence, but Estelle couldn't be scared when something more dangerous was truly happening.

She looked down at the paper Aunt Kaere had shoved in her hand. It was just a list of herbs commonly used in cooking. She glanced back at the house, those men were probably discussing the very matter that she could sense, but she had been sent to go pick herbs for dinner. A child's job.

The creature whined and pawed at her again. The porch creaked as she stood up. Now, there was a decision to make. There was far more to the world that she had ever wished to believe about it. This world was confusing and contradictory and she realized now that it had always been that way. Even her perfect world with Mom and Dad and everyone in the forest had been precarious. Everyday, they had lived in safety while others suffered. And the day that she had long tried to forget and deny, the day that continued to haunt her dreams, had been something unavoidable.

Tears stung her eyes as she forced herself to remember what she had so easily chose to forget. It was all too easy as the images came rushing back. As those soldiers had come rushing in, lead by a white and silver figure with a helmet covering his face. She remembered her uncles velvet smooth tone as she gave mom the final ultimatum. "Come back or die" it was obvious that this ultimatum extended to no one but Elda herself.

Rael had acted fast, dragging her away by the hand. But not fast enough so that she missed the trail of blood, or wet, sticky sound as weapons were dawn and Alvar sliced his sister swiftly across the torso. Estelle tried not to remember the gory details but they were all too clear. She remembered the point at which Rael had pushed her forward, telling her to run alone. Estelle might never know what truly became of her, but in the pit of her stomach she knew that everyone she loved was dead. She had always known.

She clenched her fists. How could she decide any other way now? What was the point in living within an illusion? How much good would that ever do her?

As to why she had not yet been killed, she would never know. Maybe that murderer inside had had a last flash of conscience, or maybe she was useful in a way she did not yet know. But she knew that she would never be taken to see her family unless it was via the swift and ruthless slice of a blade.

Her tears dried away, leaving a layer of salt. What to do was still a mystery, but, now, she knew what she thought.

Besides the mana-sucking feeling, a low roar started to surround the forest. Estelle looked up, sensing a bit of wind above the treetops. The creature whined again, this time, more urgently...

o.o.o

_"We sure showed those pointy-eared bastards!", Kratos heard someone yell out in the mist he realized the silences was only a production of his own single mindedness. Many sounds filled the thin morning light. He took another laborious breath and realized that the mist had turned to smoke. His lungs clenched painfully and he fell into a coughing fit. He tasted metal as coughed. The familiar taste wouldn't let him breathe._

_His vision blurred, but not before he looked to the sky and saw a huge form, blotting out the whole sky._


	13. No Survivors

((*sigh* I hope this one doesn't suck as bad as the last one. Though I can't wait to writ the next chapter! It will be fun! Yay!! Oh and about the protozoan lore, I know that not all of what Kratos says is correct. There is a lot that he hasn't learned about the mysterious creatures! Yay! (this is where I have made up a lot of stuff lol) Tho I am getting sick of writing "creature" and "beast" all the time. Oh well soon Noishe will be known only as Noishe lol!! Anywaaays~ Please please please review (or I'll die) and have a great day! ))

Kratos lay face down in the dirt for an immeasurable amount of time. He heard people calling to one another off in the distance.

"Two bodies in..."

"No survivors..."

For a moment the language confuse him. He understood it, but he wasn't quite sure why. to his ears the language seemed so rough. "No way..." He almost moaned in disbelief. He was hearing his native language. That of Humanity. He had been speaking elvish this whole time, without even thinking about it. He gritted his teeth. He had always known the language of the enemy, but to be so used to hearing it made him feel like a stranger.

He wanted to stand up and get a better look, something was going on, but every muscle in his body protested with searing pain every time movement was attempted. How far had he ran last night? He had completely thrown away the task he had given himself. However, it was undoubtedly more important to save the living than remember the dead. He grimaced, though who was to say Estelle wasn't dead already. He had left her with the person who brutally made an example of the rest of her family.

There was only a small space in his head for the girl who had brought all of this to his attention; Martel, huh? While it had been chivalry which had caused him to speak with her in the first place, he knew that she had been the one who had helped him. Why, he couldn't say, but he could not forget the thing she had told him before his hasty departure.

"Remember Kratos." She had grabbed him by the shoulders, an assertive gesture that had taken the young man by surprise, "The dead cannot atone for their sins, but as long as you live, things can always get better." For a moment, the intensity in her deep green eyes had burned her words into his memory. Then the fire had melted away into another sad but hopeful smile. "Now go."

Then he ran. Though a whole day had gone by since he had left Estelle in the village. He hadn't felt like all hope was gone just then, but now, he had a horrible sinking feeling. That huge thing in the sky, the smell of fire. The voices of his own kind. He should have been happy. He hated Elves, he had come here to kill as many as he could. Now that he had seen what they would do to their own kind, he was just as angry and sickened as ever. But he knew that humans were just as brutal. Humans might be good for him, but to them, The little girl he was searching for was nothing but the child of their enemies.

"A survivor!" He heard someone yell far away, a bit of excitement coloring their voice. Kratos heard a low key order and then a vicious snarl and a wettish ripping sound.

It sent a shiver up his spine. It seemed these people were taking no prisoners. The wind picked up, blowing away the smoggy vapor that was restricting his view and choking his breath. From the ground, he saw that the buildings of the village were now only blackened husks.

He started to push himself up, wishing that the pain might wake him from this new nightmare. Getting to his feet, he stumbled forward. The world pitched and weaved as leaden feet carried him towards the carnage. It was all slowly sinking in. All over the ruined streets, blurry figures both human and canine were rifling through the wreckage. He slipped into a dark alley between two walls that were still standing.

With a few deep breaths, his head cleared, but that didn't mean the circumstances had become less bleak. Tears stung at his eyes and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He looked up and wished that he hadn't because the same hulking craft was still idling over the area. It cast a massive shadow over all who stood beneath it. He could see the scarlet crest of the North Fleet glinting on the sides of the colossal warship. He gave the craft another weary look, this one was armed to the teeth. Warships had existed before he left on his journey, however this one was larger than any he had seen. He felt small and alone as he stood there. He had missed so much, but even if he had stayed home he might have remained just as ignorant. After all, he was still a child. If his parents had been alive, he wouldn't even have had to support himself. But here he was, grimy and bloodstained and more used to death than the average soldier.

Everyone in this village was dead. They had to be, the battleship must have just ripped right through the village. No one had any warning and thus they had had no chance. So even if Estelle had survived her uncle, she surely had not survived this attack.

The edge if his mouth twitched. He longed for the numbness of yesterday, but every nuance of emotional agony seared him worse than the pain of his strained body. He might as well be dead for all the good he had done.

He huddled in the alley, wishing that his injuries were more fatal. Alternate realities continued to run through his mind. What if he had just brought her along that other morning. Estelle hadn't belonged among the elves any more than he did. She would never have belonged anywhere. His heart clenched painfully as he remembered those pitiful blue eyes, he had wanted to protect her as an apology for saving her life, but when he had thought her life might not have been so bad he had simply left her to her fate.

A snarl ripped through the air in the alley. Something black and red was bearing down upon him from the other side. Kratos raised his arms to defend himself, but it was merely a vestigial reflex.

"Down!" he heard someone command decisively and the great wolf-like creature slowed to a stop. It's great, fearsome muzzle pointing at Kratos. "What the hell?" Kratos recognized the accent as being from the same area as his hometown.

Kratos removed his arms and looked up at the man beyond, his great armored formed approached. Kratos might have tried to escape, but there was no way that he could have outrun the huge wolf. By its red and black coloring, Kratos knew that it wasn't a normal wolf but a Protozoan in the Fenrilra stage of its lifetime. Protozoans were artificially made creature that Kratos didn't know much more about. Though he had been around them his whole life since humanity had mastered their creation. In their later forms, they were the most commonly used beasts of burden within the military. The Fenrilra stage was known for being the most vicious.

The edge of his mouth quirked, on top of all the other losses he had sustained, his own Protozoan, Noishe, had been lost as well. Of course the life of a person was worth more than the life of a beast, but Kratos missed Noishe just as much as any member of his family. He had been decidedly different than the others with unusual coloring and uncanny intelligence. It was almost funny that he was thinking of such things right now. Kratos had to hold back a hysterical laugh.

The man grabbed him by the back of the collar. Kratos allowed himself to be lifted like a rag doll.

"One of us?" he said almost incredulously and dropped Kratos back to the ground.

Kratos stumbled to his feet and fixed the man with an unreadable gaze, "Yeah." he shakily replied and gave a curt nod, not really knowing what else could be said. He was very small compared to the hulking soldier, but as he stood straight, something about his posture made him look tragically noble.

The man couldn't believe his eyes. He stepped back a few paces, his wolf-creature turned and looked at him, sensing the confusion in its master. "Lord Aurion?" he said, skepticism and amazement fighting for their place in his tone.

Kratos, upon hearing his family name, scrutinized the soldier's face. The youngish man was grizzled and brawny and his expressions were mercifully easy for Kratos to read. He did not personally recognize this man. However, he realized that his life may depend on his answers. Why his life mattered anymore was a mystery, but it wouldn't be so hard to satisfy the soldier's curiosity. "Yes," He replied blankly, his vision veering off to the horizon, "That was my father." in the wake of his apathetic gaze, his face contorted into an almost childish look of sadness. Kratos was still holding back tears. Of course, he couldn't allow himself to cry but it didn't make the stinging sensation leave his eyes.

"Heel." The man commanded the Fenrir and approached the fourteen year old boy. "Well everything is gonna be okay." He said as he kindly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know how you got here, but we'll get you home real quick."

Kratos respected the intent of this action, but it affected his mood in the same way a single ice cube might affect a forest fire. There was no home for him. Every one he had grown up with was dead and now, by his own negligence, the last person who had reached out to him was also dead.

Even still, he let himself be led away, towards what seemed to be a makeshift encampment under the huge leviathan that loomed overhead. All the other soldiers that been searching through the wreckage before seemed to have disappeared. Both men were taken by surprise as multiple howls came rolling from not too far away. Kratos realized that the soldiers had not disappeared, but were simply clustered in one area on the edge of the village.

Kratos' breath caught in his throat as he realized where everyone was gathered. He shouldn't be surprised that it was the Elder's house. There was another howl and this time the soldier's protozoan replied to it with its own long, low howl. In a split second thereafter Kratos found himself being roughly dragged along, A wet, pointy mouth enclosing his entire forearm. The creature's handler was left in the dust yelling orders that were promptly disobeyed.

Kratos was dragged through the crowd. He looked up at the faces of the soldiers to see that they all wore expressions of confusion and fear. Kratos saw why when they reached the inner circle. In a tight phalanx, obscuring whatever was beyond, stood every single Fenrilra Protozoan that had previously been searching along with the soldiers. It was a heart stopping sight, and the idea that such dangerous creatures were out of control was even more frightening.

Kratos clamped his eyes shut as he was dragged through the colossal paws...

((**No, Seriously!** Please review! I mean, if you've read it, whats another two minutes to say what you think of it? *sigh* I know I sound desperate but I'm really unsure about the direction of the plot right now. I don't care too much about having a million readers, but it would make my Christmas wish come true if everyone who read the recent chapters reviewed them! AND I'm not just looking for good reviews... I just want to know what is going through ppls minds so I can improve~ *sigh* I'm sorry to be annoying tho, I know how lame it is when authors beg for reviews like this... But please consider my plea....))


	14. Strange Circumstances

((Woo! I have been sooooo busy this week that I have had barely any time to write!! Thus, I have just typed this chapter in 2 hours. I sacrificed sleep for this!! LOL So, uh, forgive any typos? :3 Anyways~ while I did not get time to write... I somehow found time to draw a Christmas illustration! (Here: http ://i640. photobucket. com / albums/ uu122/ Oridesu/ SeasonsGreetings . jpg ) Its pretty cheesy, but I though it was cute... to view, copy/paste and take out the spaces! Anywaaaays Merry Christmas and Pleeeeaaaase Reveiw!!))

Bristle-like fur brushed against Kratos' cheeks and the furnace like breath of the huge creatures could be heard from his every side. The fear of being completely powerless gripped his mind. Again, he had nothing to live for, but those sharp teeth and dagger-like claws made death seem much less appealing. He had no idea what might make these thoroughly domesticated creatures act outside of orders. However there really wasn't much that he could do about it. Abruptly, Krato's back connected with the hard ground. The creature had dropped him. It soon bounded away.

For a while he lay still, keeping his eyes shut and expecting to meet his end at any second. Somewhere past his head, he heard someone gasp. Something heavy came padding up to his side. He startled when something cold and wet touched his face accompanied by a loud sniffing in his ear. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

It first, he was too close to the furry creature to make out any details. Then, he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. Those big ears, those green markings. It barked happily and stepped back, wagging it's fox-like tail.

"Noishe?", Kratos said as he sat up, taken aback. The creature barked again and as if to say "Yeah, what of it?". He looked closely into the creature's eyes, there was no way that the creature before him was anything other than his childhood friend. "How did yo-- oof!" His question was cut short as something crashed into his chest.

"Mr. Kratos!! You're not dead!!", someone was squeezing him to death. He looked down to see a familiar copper-colored head. He tentatively rested a hand on it, just make sure he wasn't hallucinating. The little girl looked up, her face was smudged but she was unharmed. When their eyes met she burst into tears again and squeezed Kratos even harder. It sent shock of pain up his spine, but he couldn't have cared less.

Kratos opened his mouth to say something but his voice caught. He was so happy that Estelle was alive and he was just as overjoyed that Noishe had found him, but the situation was so surreal that he couldn't help but feel intensely suspicious. He looked around the strange clearing. They were flanked by every protozoan in the area. Beyond stood the soldiers, trying to coax their animals to listen and come back. However, the great beasts were as impassive as statues. The one that had brought Kratos into their midst was sitting of to the side, as if awaiting further orders.

He stood, lifting Estelle up as well. Noishe trotted up to his side and looked at him expectantly, Kratos reached over and gave him a small scratch on the head. "It good to see you." He said with a small smile. Noishe gave a small bark in reply. Then turned to the other protozoans, he gave a long howl and it was as if a spell had been broken. All of a sudden, the giant wolves ran out in all directions, returning to their handlers or wherever else they had been. The humans that they returned to looked warily at the strange group of three but did not dare attack them as of yet.

Kratos look at his own Protozoan in disbelief. What had he just witnessed? Noishe couldn't have possibly been responsible for that abnormal display. Estelle had fallen silent, Kratos held her protectively. That was another thing, why had he found Noishe and Estelle together? It was a mystery, though Noishe seemed a bit protective of the little girl. He kept craning his neck to look at her and see how she was doing.

Kratos was unsure of his next move. While it was a welcome exchange for the lives of his friends, there was now no way that he would be able to passively get a ride back to his homeland. Estelle might be seen as an enemy and Noishe some other kind of supernatural threat. Kratos had always been better with the sword than the spoken word. However this was a situation that he would have to talk his way out of. Luckily a voice from behind him gave him both an idea and a starting point.

"Lord Aurion!" Kratos turned to see the man from before. "I thought you were a goner when Isabella dragged you off by the arm! It's the strangest..." He trailed of as he noticed at Kratos's new companions.

"This is Estelle, A Half-Elf that I speak for," He said with authority, he set Estelle on the ground where she looked from Kratos to the soldier nervously. Kratos remembered that she must not understand what they were saying, since she only spoke elvish as far as he knew. Kratos hoped that she wouldn't try to talk. The phrase "That I speak for" was a more politically correct way for referring to the owning of Half-Elf slaves. While Kratos had been raised to find it distasteful, it was the safest station for Estelle at that moment.

He also gestured to Noishe, "and Noishe, my mount."

"Oh, i see..." The soldier replied slowly but then bounced back, "I didn't know the Aurions kept half elves!"

"Yes, Well, If possible I would like a ride to the next city your vessel will be docking at." Kratos cut right to business, as was protocol between a noble and a commoner. Kratos didn't mean to be cold, but he had to appear to be the nobleman that everyone expected.

"I guess that should be fine. Though the accommodation are probably not up to your standards."

Kratos nodded stiffly, even though a pile a straw would have probably felt like the finest down mattress compared to his "accommodations" up until this point.

Kratos followed the The soldier as he made his way to a warp station in the middle of the the makeshift camp. It seemed that that was how people cam back and fourth from the ground to the airship. They were just about to step onto the shining blue pad, When someone else appeared upon it. There was a short moment of scrutiny before a sharp question.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Asked the slim, black haired woman. Kratos' hear gave a small and frightened jolt at the sight of her while the soldier stepped back into a full salute.

"I-I discovered a human Noble in the wreckage and was taking him to the general, commander."

"The general is very busy and what is this nonsense about the Fenrilra's not obeying!?" The woman had an air of sharpness. There was something unnatural about her bearing and features. Kratos noticed that her eyes were a blood-red color. Though, that was the only blatantly abnormal thing he could find about her. She glanced over at "Isabella", the soldier's Protozoan, who cowered slightly under her gaze. "I supposed they're obeying now." She rolled her eyes a bit and turned to to Kratos, Estelle and Noishe. She eyed them suspiciously, taking extra notice of Noishe, who stared back with intensity. This made Kratos even more uneasy, though he didn't show it. "Well?" She said acidly.

"My name is Kratos Aurion. This is my Half-Elf and My Protozoan. I became lost here and would now like to return to my own country." Kratos had to stop himself from biting his lip in anxiety.

She gave him another terrifying once over and then nodded grudgingly, "Very well. Follow me."


	15. The Weight of a Friend

((Jeeeeez~ It took me forever to write this... I'm starting to go crazy.. So crazy in fact I tried to start something with less brevity. I'm not loving the result but it might be fun if I get my act together~ *sigh* I just need to start school again... for some reason I write better during school... Its Crazyyyyy... gaaahhh...))

Estelle tried to focus on the fact that Kratos had come back for her, but she was petrified. In an instant, she had watched the whole village turn into a wasteland before her eyes. The only reason she was still alive was due to the strange creature (Noishe?) forcibly dragging her off into the forest. Her uncle's house was the first to be attacked. Everyone inside had been burned away so quickly that there hadn't even been any bodies left behind or at least not from what she had seen, but that wasn't the worst of it. Those who had survived the explosions had been ripped apart by those giant wolves and shot by the humans who controlled them.

Though when the soldiers had noticed her and Noishe lingering on the edge of the destroyed village Noishe had convinced the giant wolves to protect them. Estelle wasn't sure how though. When one of them had dragged Kratos into their midst, Estelle had been sure that he was dead, he had been so dirty and scratched up.

She flinched as she followed Kratos, Noishe and the strange, lifeless, dark-haired lady onto the shinning blue platform and an energy that resembled magic surrounded her in an instant. She clung to Kratos' arm in fear but, for some reason, he pushed her away, glancing at her sternly. The world around them disintegrated and new air seemed to rush in around them. Estelle suppressed a cough as the new air filled her lungs. It was dry and seemed too thin. It had absolutely no smell, save for the smallest hint of something chemical. She saw that the scenery had changed too. Instead of the remains of the village and farther on the forest, they were suddenly indoors. They were standing in a wide hallway, the walls and floor were smooth and mostly silver colored. She looked up when the woman said something in that same crackly-sounding language that everyone seemed to speak.

"You can stay in the extra officer's quarters until we reach our first stop." The woman was walking at a pace just a bit faster than a comfortable walking pace. She didn't look at Kratos when she spoke and seemed to be in a great hurry to get on with something else.

"Thank you." Kratos said with a polite smile, though he still felt uneasy somehow. Maybe it was simply the commander's brisk manner and the fact that all of a sudden he was back among his own kind but Kratos felt just as defensive as if he were still among elves. He stole a glance at Estelle. Her face was blank and sheet-white. Kratos wanted to pick her up again, to let her know that everything would be okay, but since she was supposed to be his servant, that would have garnered some suspicion.

"The slave and arshis can go with the others of their kind if that's okay with you." She used the word "slave" without any hesitation and the authoritarian bite in her voice made it obvious that she didn't really care if anything was okay with anybody.

"Excuse me, but I would prefer it if my companions stayed with me at all tim--" There was a sharp click as the woman stopped abruptly. She turned and gazed sharply at Kratos.

"Companions?" She asked incredulously, eyeing Estelle and Noishe in a way that made Estelle step back and Noishe growl. The woman gritted her teeth at Noishe's growl and for a moment she looked almost canine herself. She sniffed and quickly turned away walking just a bit faster. She clenched her fists tightly, "Very well." She said through her teeth. She flagged down a random soldier. "Show these people to G105." Then, without the slightest look back, she turned precisely and was gone down a corridor.

"Right this way." the random soldier said calmly and started in what must have been the right direction. Kratos and Noishe both watched the corridor the woman had disappeared down for just a few more moments.

"If you don't mind my asking," Kratos said slowly, "What was the name of that officer?"

"That's Commander Eliza." They replied without much more commentary.

"I see." Kratos stopped himself from questioning the name. It just figured that someone like that would have a benign-sounding name like "Eliza". After some silence he pressed further, "Why are her eyes red?" He kept his voice nonchalant and hoped he could use his youth to cover any transgressions. The soldier remained silent and they continued down the corridor.

When they reached the room, something a bit unexpected happened. The guard stopped and looked Kratos in the eye. "Watch where you stick your nose. Anyone can tell that she's not human," He nodded of down the hall, "If I were you, I'd stay in my room until we reach Effrell and then get out of this place forever."

Kratos watched the soldier go, surprised at the dire feelings behind his words. Sure, it was probably wasn't the best to live on an airship, but the place didn't strike him as that bad. As for the commander, she hadn't really seemed evil, just foreign, inhospitable and maybe a bit dangerous.

Kratos waited until Noishe and Estelle had gone into the room and then followed behind. The door clicked shut behind him. It was a solid satisfying sound, it woke his mind up a little, but seemed to sap up the last of his energy reserves. He wilted into the bed without even looking at the rest of the room. He rested his face in his palms for a few moments. When Estelle came to his side, though, he managed a tired smile. "I'm sorry." Kratos said in Elvish, "There's so much to explain..." he grimaced at the thought of the things that she would inevitably have to be told. Kratos knew that she must have figured a few things out on her own, but he had no way of knowing how much. However now he was too tired to even explain anything for himself. "I'm sorry..." Noishe's tail swished back and fourth and he nosed his friend in the hand.

"It's okay." Estelle said softly. She tried to smile but her eyes filled with tears again, "Get some sleep."

Kratos sat up and offered his hand. It was hard to believe he had only met this person a few days ago. Maybe it was that fact that they were both lost or maybe it was that fact that is little sister would have been her age and maybe it was because, somewhere, Kratos could relate to the idea of being a true loner. Even among his own kind, he had never fit and Estelle would never quite fit anywhere, at least, nowhere in this world.

Estelle was doing her best to hold back the tears that were coming once again. She hadn't even cried when the airship had come and destroyed everything. Even now she could feel the energy of the world being sucked in and devoured by the overly smooth walls that surrounded. The ship beat with a sickening pulse that seemed to take like from even those who it protected. That was horrible, but it didn't make her cry.

When Kratos held out his hand, a memory of that moment by the fire resurfaced. He had shared with her, a complete stranger, someone whom he could have killed as an enemy. Estelle realized that she had not cried as the village burned because, she had already resolved herself to being alone. Everyone had left. but someone really did care if she lived or died. That fact made her more afraid than ever. The pain of personal connection was not yet over. But on the other hand, she cried for the joy to see that she had not lost him yet. These were feelings that she would never be able to put into words.

Kratos pulled the child into an embrace, like he might one of his siblings if they had still been alive. He was normally awkward about that kind of thing, but he had the feeling that any second could be his last. He would never take those he cared for for granted again. Noishe climbed up with them and he leaned on the Protozoan's warm fur. It wasn't long before they had all fallen asleep.


	16. Morning

((Hey~ I live..... School stated and as usual the first week is really busy. Once I get into a routine I should be able to write more consistently. *sigh* there was actually alot more I planned to put in this chapter but I haven't had the chance to finish it as I had wanted so now I'm posting it becase it bothers me that I haven't updated in so long... Now more than ever, reviews would be a huge help because input makes me want to write more~ Anywaaaays~ I'll update as soon as I can!!))

Morning came with a surreal edge. After sleeping in the woods for such a long time, Kratos awoke in a room which even exceeded the standards that he had been used to as a child. It seemed to him that the overly showy decor was specifically designed not to be attractive and comfortable, but to communicate how very much the builder had spent on the room. The walls were covered with some dark, expensive tropical wood inlaid with precious metals. Colorful, hand-woven carpet covered the floor and every piece of furniture had something about it that was just completely over the top. The look of the place was the exact opposite of the the utilitarian style that the rest of the ship sported.

Noishe and Estelle were still passed out on the heavily embroidered mauve duvet. Kratos had to snort back a laugh in spite of himself. Surely, the designer of this room would have nearly fainted to know that it was being occupied by children and animals. The thought was an amusing one.

To Kratos' pleasant surprise, there was a door that lead to an equally pompous washroom where it didn't take too long for him to wash both his clothes and himself within an inch of their lives. When all was done, he felt better than he had in quite a while, despite the garishly scented soap he had had no choice but to use. "Lavender Mango Fantasy" it had been called. The wash water that filled the bathtub was a nasty greenish-blackish-purple color when he was done. Kratos couldn't help but cringe but at least the grime wasn't on him anymore.

Thanks to the heating vents on the floor, Kratos' clothes dried quickly. He dressed and was about to go wake the other two up when he caught his own reflection in the mirror. For the tiniest second, he thought that one of the soldiers might have come in while he wasn't looking. The person in the mirror looked back at Kratos with heart-stopping intensity, his eyes were the same old amber color, but they held such a grave seriousness, even at a time where he felt at ease. Kratos' stature was not as he remembered it. His skin was still the smooth skin of a boy, but lines of his face had grown longer and sharper. His shoulders stood out beneath his tattered shirt, eluding to the hardened and sinewy body underneath. The maturity was emphasized by the 6 inches he had grown in recent years. To someone looking at him, he was still young, but Kratos was caught off balance by his own appearance.

He took a deep breath. It made sense that he would change after two years on the road. It was nothing to get upset about. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get his hair to lie flat, he took a final glance at the tough young man in the mirror and went back into the room.

Noishe's large ears perked as the door opened. His tail wagged back and fourth as he carefully slithered out of bed, being sure not to wake up Estelle. He sat down in front of Kratos, tail still wagging, and gave him an expectant look. Kratos looked back at him, mildly bewildered. He had raised the protozoan from its bird-like Aeros from, yet he now got the sense he had not fully understood his favorite pet. Kratos settled on an overstuffed chair and looked Noishe more closely in the eyes.

Not only had the Arshis managed to follow him from miles away and found Estelle when he had not known her previously and that thing with the other protozoans was more than just intelligence. Noishe had always been different in many ways, but this was weird. He still loved and, for the most part, trusted the protozoan but he had to get as far to the bottom of things as he could. Noishe whined and cocked his head at Krato's scrutiny.

"You understand me right?", Kratos asked in a low voice. He was dead serious but not angry, whatever might be happening he was sure this creature, one of his last childhood playmates, knew more than he did.

Noishe whined and gave something resembling a nod.

"Okay..." It was at he had expected, but his stomach still clenched with trepidation at his own ignorance. He had never asked Noishe any direct questions before, what if he could talk, or control people the same way he did other protozoans? That might have been more than Kratos could handle. "What's going on?" his gaze shifted to his feet and his low voice became a whisper. "How did you find us, and what did you do back there?"

Noishe looked back at him apologetically, it seemed the creature did not have the ability to speak the way humans and elves did.

"I think he sniffed you out." A small voice piped in behind him. Estelle had awakened, she was watching the two of them from her place on the bed, " and then he helped me because I smelled like you. and he was smart enough to guess that I might know you." she smiled at Noishe. she looked cute and childish, "Am I right?"

Noishe gave another nod-like motion.

Kratos looked from the girl to Noishe. He should have figured that out himself, he wanted to say something but he couldn't think of anything useful. "That's good." he said gruffly. He glanced at the clock. It was around ten in the morning, well into the day by military standards. He stood and made towards the door.

Estelle was on her feet before he took another step. "Where are we going?" She asked brightly. She was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, shoes and all. There was a smudge of soot on her cheek.

"I am going to see what I can do around the ship." If Kratos had any say, they would not be charity cases to the military. Though there also might be some understanding that he had endless riches waiting for him at home and would pay then. He actually did not know the state of the Aurion's affairs, but he was sure that they were bleak. Whatever the case, he was strong and had never been afraid of hard work, he could at least do some kind of manual labor to keep his mind occupied. "You and Noishe will stay here." Since the other two were technically his dependents by human law, his work would cover for them as well.

Estelle's face grew impudent as he made it clear he had no intention of letting her see the rest of the ship. It was the same attitude she had put off back when they had started the first leg of their journey. For someone so young, she had a very strong and independent mind. Too bad she was too childish to direct it towards more productive ends. Estelle crossed her arms and didn't say anything. She now seemed to find the couch's outlandish upholstery to be very interesting.

Kratos sighed, "Okay, I'm going now..." When that illicited no response he added jokingly, "I may never ever come back~"

At the little girl quickly turned. Her face had gone from childish rebellion, to a betrayed, desperate fear that made Kratos sorely regret his words. While he was finally feeling calm and sure of the situation, Estelle had been flung into an alien world and abandonment was too great a fear to be taken lightly. "I-I was joking." Kratos said feeling both sorry and foolish. "I'll definitely be back so don't worry."

Estelle crossed her arms and inspected a statuette this time, though now it was in a more injured way. The silence grated at Kratos' heart, but he turned and walked out the door. To resolve the problem would be to take away the pain that had just been inflicted, but Kratos knew he deserved to feel that pain at least for a while. It somehow seemed wrong and selfish to simply solve and forget a problem that you had been the source of.

He started down the shining metal hall. No one was in sight so he had no choice but to follow its glossy path. At every turn Kratos made a conscious effort to remember the way he tuned. It would be easy to get lost in a place as unfamiliar and obscure as the halls of the giant airship.


	17. Coincidence

((Gosh Ive been busyyyyy Stupid class.... So here's this week's chapter~ Have oodles of fun and reveeiwww! *Dies* Oh~ and I'm sorry that the names of the chapters are getting progressivley lamer XD I just have trouble thinking of chapter names... but I want them anyway... *Dies again*))

Tick-tock, Tick-tock. The strange, mechanical heartbeat was so persistent, but no matter where she looked, it couldn't be found. The bed? No. The couch? No. Estelle stood among mountains of down covers and upturned cushions like a ship tossed by the waves. Dejectedly, she clamped her hands over her ears and plopped down where she stood. She sniffed loudly but didn't let any tears through. Noishe was watching her from across the room. He was smart to stay away from her in this temper. The only one who could have cheered her up had left hours ago.

"Stupid sound." Tears welled up in her eyes. All she wanted was for that infernal ticking to just disappear. It was bad enough that everything smelled bad and that the forest was farther away than ever. She hadn't been aware of it before, but the life force of the trees, animals and spirits of the forest had been a comfort. But now there was nothing but cold, like someone had ripped the covers off while she was still sleeping. Nothing but cold, cold and Noishe. But Estelle was mad at him too. If he hadn't been around to watch her Kratos might have taken her along. She hated this stupid… thing! She didn't know what the place they were was called. How could she when she didn't even know what people were saying? The girl sniffed sharply, Humans were despicable!! Making huge metal monsters that cut her away from the forest, huge metal monsters that made annoying ticking noises. They were parasites, just like Uncle had sa-

She stopped her thoughts before they finished. That person had killed her family. It was his fault she was here. Kratos was human, he wasn't despicable. How could she have thought worse of her savior based the words of a murderer? No one had heard her thoughts, but she bent her head in shame, curling into a little ball. Buried in the folds of her skirt, a few tears were shed. The sweet smell of the homespun cloth was covered by the bitter salty aroma of war. She wanted her mother so badly it felt as if she might die, and as the logical bit of her told her it was impossible, she felt as if she wanted to die.

Something soft and warm touched her shoulder and she caught white hair in the corner of her eye, for the slightest moment, she thought her logical side had been mistaken. But it was only Noishe, Trying to comfort her as best he could. He whined and Estelle could almost feel his sympathy in the air. She looked up and tried to smile.

"I'm sorry for making such a mess." she said as she patted his forehead, "Kratos will be mad won't he?"

Noishe whined and nudged her with his head, urging her to stand up and go towards a room off to the side. She laughed, if a bit mirthlessly, when she saw that it was a washroom.

........

"I have no intention of accepting a free ride." Kratos said heatedly. He had woken up feeling calm but somewhere between that moment and now everything had gone awry. The shrewd and exanimate eyes he now faced didn't help either.

An eyebrow was raised as if making some kind of staged performance. "Always proud I see, like your Ancestors." Commander Eliza didn't seem in to be in such a hurry to leave this time. She sharply contemplated Kratos from across the desk. "We dock at Efrell in sixty-eight hours. What is one more passenger?" Her delivery skirted the line between serious and sarcastic.

"It doesn't sit well with my conscience. My father would have wanted me to stay on my own two feet."

"Hm, I suppose." She started to rifle through some papers in a box on her desk; she didn't look up as she went from sheet to sheet. Minutes went by, "The Aurions were a fine family", she began speaking abruptly but deliberately, "It's too bad they've all been killed off by this war." She spoke as if this might be good small talk, "It will be great for morale in the capital when they find that the oldest son survived."

Kratos remain silent, trying to keep the violence of his temper in check.

"It never ceases to amaze me. After thousands of years, even after the Monarchy was abolished, people still talk of the Aurions as if they were kings. Now, one who claims his place among their noble ranks," She gave Kratos another once-over, "is standing here in rags and offering to do menial labor."

The line of Kratos's mouth stiffened, what was she trying to insinuate? "If you mean to say you don't think I'm genuine--"

"Oh not at all, your look is unmistakable." She cut him off, eyes narrowed, "It's just fishy."

Kratos took a deep breath, his mind freezing up, he had no intention of explaining himself to this... this... ..._being_. He had just wanted something to do while waiting to get to Efrell. Now he was quickly sinking into political quicksand of which he had no experience to escape.

Kratos opened his mouth to speak but he stopped as the door behind him whirred open.

"Hey Eliza-- Er, commander, Who's this?" Kratos heard the transition from friend to colleague in the new person's gravelly voice. He turned to look at that middle-aged man dressed in the same minimalist black uniform that the commander wore. Though, he quickly took notice of the extra stripes around the sleeves.

"General Esscott, "The commander replied coolly and looked off to the side, "The supply requests you asked for are right here." She straightened the papers she had been looking at and and held them out to the general. Kratos had to shake off another flare of annoyance. So she been saying insulting things _and _completing an unrelated task? Kratos was starting to think that he would have disliked the commander even without her funny, lifeless eyes. "This _child_ is Kratos Aurion. He was the one discovered in the village yesterday." She glanced down her nose at Kratos, "You knew his father did you not?"

"I guess we met a few times..." The man scrutinized Kratos' face and in return, Kratos watched him warily. The general had plain brown hair and gray eyes with wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and nose. His face was vaguely familiar and his eyes stared with a genial, if somewhat distant gaze. "Though, Master Crius practically raised me." He smiled at Kratos as if expecting him to smile back at some shared memory, but the gaze he met was stony, bordering on incredulous.

Kratos knew his grandfather, many summers he had been sent to his hermitage in Fenora for more advanced weapon's training, he owed much of his skill to the man. However, Kratos could never feel grateful. Training his grandson was the least he could have done after so many years of cold, impassive silence. It was what he owed after abandoning his young wife and child to selfishly wander the countryside. Kratos clenched his fists, that jerk was probably still alive too. The emptiness in his heart spread painfully. This man he barely knew could take more comfort in Kratos' own last relative than the young man could even begin to imagine.

"I see." Kratos said simply.

"He was an amazing warrior. I'm surprised how much you resemble him."

"I suppose the men in my family tend to have strong features." He said emotionlessly, trying to bring an end to the conversation.

"I suppose that they do..." The general seemed to catch on. He looked uncomfortably at the commander who offered no support, "What brings you to Commander Eliza's office?"

"He wishes to work until we dock at Efrell. In exchange for the ride that is." for the first time Kratos was happy for the commander's random interruption.

"That's great." the general said forcing another smile, "Put him where he's needed. Oh, and find him some suitable clothes." He nodded to both of them and was on his way. Scarcely a minute into his absence the commander had thrown a uniform in  
Kratos' hand and sent him off with one of her lackeys to the cargo bay.

After washing up as best she could, Estelle had set about exploring every aspect of this new place. Noishe followed her around, watching with the helpless anxiousness of a nanny, but not really making any move to stop her from doing anything. Over the course of a few hours, Estelle made herself busy.

She found the source of the ticking, Examined numerous wall hangings and even found a colored circle that, when one pushed it in, made part of the wall come up to reveal an odd white landscape with a perfectly blue sky. This kept her occupied as she tried to puzzle out just what the ground was made of. She had never seen land that white before. After a while, she surmised that it must be some kind of white grass or water that was really churned up. The landscape drifted by, and despite its odd nature, Estelle was quickly bored by the unchanging swaths of blue and white as far as the eye could see. The sun streamed in and made her squint.

There was nothing else to do. Estelle flopped back onto the bed, but she was wide awake. If only she could have fallen asleep again. Then she wouldn't have to wait for Kratos to get back. Turned on her side and closed her eyes once more

_Knock Knock _

Oh no not another noise... she thought with annoyance.

_Knock Knock_

But this was one she recognized.

"Hello?" She heard the muffled question from the hall. Someone was outside the door.


	18. Resource Recovery

(OMG!! I updated!! It amazes even me! I kind of took a different point of view to get out of my slump. Things should go pretty well from here but I'm not making any promises on promptness, I have a crazy as hell schedule right now XD. but I honestly love this story and want to see it through to the end so I'm still thinking about it!! Anyway, its really late so I'm sorry for incoherence and typos and all that jazz!! I hope you enjoy, and please reveiw if you're still reading this XD)

The humans had been really riled up since they'd crossed the border. Men stood in idle groups in the cargo bay whispering to each other about some common secret. Even the foremen seemed a bit distracted, not even bothering to watch their half-elf charges. They had never been that attentive to begin with, but as the young half-elf glanced around he realized that he was practically alone for all the scrutiny he was receiving.

He pulled up his goggles, pinning back the long strips of blue hair that had been narrowing his gaze. His comrades in servitude had already slunk off, taking advantage of the lull in both the amount of work and the strictness of surveillance. It didn't matter to him either way, nothing serious was going to happen to engineers, not unless their work was faulty. The slaves that found themselves in his position lived a spoiled life compared to the others of their ilk. They got regular meals and could sometimes choose their work. It by no means made slavery bearable or just, but it was the best one could hope for.

With a deep breath he slipped his goggles on again and went back to the mini-mana reactor he had been working on. It was the power source for one of the smaller scale flying machines that was sometimes used to defend against smaller attacks. In the last skirmish, it had decided not to take off like it was supposed to. It was his job to get it working again. Nothing really seemed to be wrong with the brilliant piece of machinery and he was starting to to wonder if maybe there had been something wrong with the mouth-breather that had originally tried to fly it. Humans, they had decided to make all these war machines with magic, but in the end, they still needed half-eves to make it all work.

"Psst! Yuan!!", A whisper drew his attention to a face peeking from around one of the vehicles in the deserted hangar. He saw a shock of blue hair much like his own. "Yuan come here!!"

Mai, his sister, looked more amused than distressed, but the pit of his stomach got suddenly heavy at the sight of her. She wasn't authorized to be down here, the consequences for being caught were, at best, being sold off and, at worst, being killed on the spot. But for some reason Mai seemed to accept the relative luxury and freedom of the airship as something that was constant and infallible. The muscles in his back twinged as he stood up for the first time in who knew how many hours. Unlike his contemporaries, Yuan genuinely loved to up his elbows in magitetechnology and chose to work long hours.

"What on earth are you doing here!?" He said closing the distance between them. Mai worked up on the higher levels, preforming more domestic tasks like helping the cooks and cleaning the officer's quarters. They usually only saw each other at mealtimes.

"I needed your help with something." She said, obviously a bit miffed that she hadn't been met with a warmer reception.

"What could you possibly--" He started as she rounded the corner of the large ground transport vessel she'd been beckoning from.

"Well she keeps chattering in elvish..."

..............

"We want physical weapons and salvageable personal items over here. While any useful technology will be given directly over to your team supervisor. Any questions?"

The orders rang out over the crowd of young boys and old men who all wore the same utilitarian coveralls. No one had any questions, though a few of the guys around Kratos' age eyed the large pile of Elf-made goods with interest. Kratos' could not bring himself to feel the same way having recent memories of seeing the same treasures occupying houses that had since been burned to cinders and serving people whose blood had not yet dried. Whatever his loyalties, that was not something that could be taken lightly.

Apparently, "resource recovery" was one of the many valued jobs of large warships such as this. The spoils of such missions were sold or used to create better weapons. The ship employed retired soldiers and young recruits to sort the large piles of disorganized goods; mostly valuables like armor, weapons and jewelry with a few pieces of furniture and important-looking things that no one knew the uses of.

Kratos pushed any qualms about the job to the back of his mind and instead took refuge in anonymity. Everyone was listening to the rumors of a human found in the elven village, but most people didn't think to look among themselves.

The casual atmosphere of the cargo bay seemed foreign. The other boys his age joked around with one another and marveled at one interesting thing after another. Kratos steered clear of their groups and focused solely on his job. Without thinking, when he reached for things in the pile, weapons always caught his attention. His own sword had been left back in the room. It wasn't a weapon he was particularly attached to but he felt awkward without it's familiar weight at his side, when he hefted any one of the richly embossed swords from the pile, the walk to where it belonged was just a bit more comfortable.

............

"Are you crazy!?" Yuan berated his sister. Just behind her stood a girl of about eight dressed in traditional elven clothes. She looked at him with interest as he chewed out his stupid, stupid sibling. "You found her in one of the rooms? And then decided to just take her!?"

"You don't get it! There was a Protozoan and it tried to bite me!! I couldn't leave a kid in a place like that, it was too dangerous!" Mai was all puffed up with self righteousness and she seemed to have forgotten about any need for stealth.

"O-okay-" Yuan waved his hands to get her attention and quiet her down, Mai had been born first by about five minutes but Yuan constantly felt like the eldest. Keeping up her morale and talking her down from ridiculous stunts like this. "Whatever, but what do you want me to do about anything?"

"So you'll help me?"

"I don't have a choice now do I?" he said scratching his head.

"Well, I just need you to translate for me. She doesn't speak human language at all I think and I've forgotten my elvish... And--" Mai leaned closer to her brother, whispering so the girl wouldn't hear. "Can you tell what she is? She not one of us for sure but she doesn't look like an elf either..."

"I don't know, Mai," He whispered back sarcastically, "Maybe she's a space alien come to get both of us executed for stealing an officer's property."

"That's a horrible thing to say!"

"I didn't say It was right. But I think you should put her back. Now."

"Fine, but ask her her name or something."

"Whatever." Yuan shot his sister an angry look and knelt down to the level of the child. It was true that unlike his sister he had made an effort to preserve his knowledge of elvish. It was against the law, but no one could stop him from keeping what he already knew.

The boy reformed his face into something a bit kinder, it wasn't this kid's fault that his sister was an idiot. "Hi there," he said softly. "What's your name?"

..............

Time was going by a bit too slowly for Kratos' taste. The back breaking, thought banishing work was mostly left to small and tightly controlled groups of half elves. They stayed as out of sight as possible. carrying away heavily packed boxes with their faces turned down. It was folly to envy them, but Kratos wished he could do the same. This work was too easy to prevent people from socializing. He became aware of the way everyone else was watching him mechanically walk back and fourth, not meeting anyone's eyes. Every inch of his slightly bent for gave off how very little he wanted to be noticed, but It came to a point when those around him could barely hold their curiosity.

It took the smallest push to set off the first interaction.

Kratos knelt with his back to the room, hoisting some item in his arms when he heard that sound.

"What do you suppose this is?" He heard someone laugh, but it didn't register. The only thing that did register was the lilting tone of mythril against mythril. The sound brought up the memory of something violent and alarming.

"How should I know," another voice joked, "Its some weird elf weapon!" One furtive glance revealed the source of the noise close behind him. A couple of boys had somehow run across the chain connected blades used by the Elf Alvar. Somehow Kratos couldn't help but feel surprised that the weapon had outlived its master. The boys were playing with it, ignorant of the number of lives it had ended.

He look a few moments to slow his heartbeat. That no longer had anything to do with him.


	19. Dangerous Assumptions

((Lalala! Here is Chapter 19~ I randomly felt like Writing it when I should have been studying~! XD I had a great deal of trouble with Estelle and Yuan , they wouldn't do what I wanted them to! (Yuan was being too nice and Estelle was being a mini fangirl! GOSH!) Anyway~ I hope you enjoy the chapter and please review because reviews make me feel like updating! XD;;))

There was a short pause and Estelle's eyes grew wide in recognition of her native language. The half-elf talking to her even had a familiar sort of accent, it sounded just like her father's, though he was much younger, probably not much older than Mr. Kratos. Estelle took note of the tone of his voice, his tone before had been decidedly annoyed while he was speaking to the girl in the uniform but now he sounded calm and inviting. The change made Estelle nervous, but since this person would be her only means of communication she stayed where she was.

She had thought that the girl in the black and white uniform had maybe been sent to get her by Mr. Kratos, since it had just seemed too cruel to leave her alone in such an unbearably dull room. She got the sense that her benefactor was well known by the people on this ship so she though that this girl was his friend, She seemed nice, if a bit clutzy, and she had seemed quite sure of herself when she escorted Estelle out of the room. Noishe had been a bit snappy about it, but Estelle could only feel kind energy from the girl and thus wasn't afraid.

Though now she was starting rethink her own logic. Why had she been taken to this other person and why was he angry? Based on the unfamiliar environment she was starting to wonder if her assumption had been wishful thinking.

"What's your name?" he was kindly asking, but Estelle wasn't sure about answering, she wasn't dumb enough to trust someone who could change their tune so easily, even though she sensed no genuine danger from these people.

The little girl stared at Yuan with an intense look of distrust. He had no way of knowing what she was thinking, but after a few moments it occurred to him that while she might not understand their language, tone was universal. She was smart to not trust him so easily after noticing his bad mood and the quick change in it.

"What's your name?" she asked, sounding sure of herself but still carrying childish bravado.

"I'm Yuan Ka-Fai, and this is Mai, my sister." He gestured towards himself and his sibling as he spoke. The girl's eyes followed his hand, her face a blank mask. "I'm sorry that you got to hear us fighting like that. I'm a bit angry with Mai for taking you out of the room that you were in before. I don't wish to make you feel unwelcome," He added, "but it's against the rules."

"Oh!" The girl's stony resolve seemed to crack a bit as things were explained, though it by no means shattered entirely, "So I was kidnapped."

"Um, yes." Yuan was a bit amused by her bluntness but plugged on, this girl was obviously intelligent enough to understand his pragmatic viewpoint of the situation, he didn't pull any punches when explaining the truth. "I don't want your master to kill us even though Mai is kind of an idiot and has had it coming for a long time. So, can you please nicely go back to wherever you were before and not tell anyone that you've met us?"

"Master?" Estelle repeated the word with slight confusion. That was a word for someone who owned slaves, it was an evil word for an evil person, yet Yuan said it as if it was an everyday sort of person that one would know, like "Mother" or "Brother" or someone else. Worry ate at her stomach for reasons she couldn't place, "I don't have one of those." Something about the very statement made her feel threatened and she wished that she had something all her own to throw back at this person. Unfortunately, she only had the threat of someone else to use. "Mr. Kratos will kill you for saying something like that!" It was someone whom she couldn't even Thi find, but she hoped that the bluff might at least inspire some fear.

..........

"Hey quiet guy! Do you know what it is?" Kratos jumped when he heard a voice right behind his head. Apparently he had drawn just a bit too much attention himself. He turned to see a boy around his own age. Friendly, but so naive that Kratos wasn't sure how to interact with him.

"Um, I suppose it's sort of a long range weapon." He answered vaguely and tried to continue on his way, concentrating on picking up some loose coins.

"Hmm, good point," He said quickly and was on to the next question before Kratos could escape, "So what's your name?" The boy's group of friends hovered behind him, highly interested in the conversation.

"Kratos." Kratos replied, not thinking to make an alias but not revealing his surname.

"Thats... cool." The boy watched him with slight confusion before perking up again, "Did you hear about the guy they found?

For the slightest second, Kratos thought he might just ignore him, then he couldn't help but wonder what people were saying about him.

"No, I haven't."

"It's supposed to be the oldest son of the Aurion family! Isn't that great. He survived all those years under elven imprisonment and now he's going to go live in the capital with the General..."

His exposition continued but Kratos's comprehension slowed as he became lost in his own thoughts. He was going to live in the capital, with the General? It was the last thing he had expected to hear and it sounded just a bit too possible to be pure rumor. Of course he had never been personally been presented with the proposition and of course he would have refused had that been the case. Despite his young age, he no longer felt like someone who could stand to rely on others. Not only that, but he wanted nothing to do with the military or the general. Whom he fundamentally disliked and mistrusted. He had been planning on getting away as soon as the ship docked tomorrow. He hoped that it would still be possible.

...........

The little girl's passionate reply took Yuan by surprise, of course she had to be mistaken, no one but full blooded humans were considered free, but she seemed to be offended at the implication he had made about her status, and who on earth was "Mr. Kratos"? Furthermore, the half elves that were subjugated to humans generally didn't speak elvish at all. The danger of the situation still itched at him, but his interest was piqued.

"Oh, well I certainly don't want that to happen." The older boy looked down at Estelle with a look of minor injury and Estelle felt immediately sorry. It wasn't her place speak for other people like that.

"Well, actually, he wouldn't kill you..." She added sheepishly, "He would just be very angry, probably."

"I see, is that person always angry?" Yuan lead right into his first question. He had a few hunches, but wanted to get more information until they gelled.

"No!" the little girl hopped to this person's defense, exactly the reaction Yuan had been hoping for, "Of course he's not always angry." the girl's voice became a bit quieter as she tried to describe the person in question, "He's the one that's always there for me."

"Is he a human or elven or like us?" Yuan continued.

"He's... human." Estelle slowly replied, somehow the question made her feel suspicious. Why did it matter what Kratos was?

Yuan scrutinized the child, she seemed obviously enamored with this "Kratos" person, but Yuan knew humans well enough. This poor kid had probably been viciously kidnapped from Elf territory. Her parents were dead and she was likely clinging her last caretaker in a desperate attempt to to make sense of things. She was a rather pretty child, with her big, ice blue eyes and pale skin. It also looked like she had a bit more Elf in her than human, meaning she would probably be a powerful mage. She'd sell for a high price in a few more years with a bit more brainwashing.

Yuan felt his pulse quicken and his clenched fists got a bit clammy with sweat. He'd lived his entire life as a slave, but things like that still brought out anger that he worked every day to beat down.

"What is she saying!" Mai piped up and Yuan remembered that she was there. He took a deep breath and focused on the reason he couldn't do anything risky. What would happen to Mai if he got shot for being too insolent? But still, the idea of this girl being manipulated by some pillaging monster was tough. He wished once again that Mai hadn't brought her down here.

............

Though Krato's day had progressed slowly, the end of it took him by surprise. As he slowly made his way back to the room he remembered how angry Estelle had been this morning. He hoped that she wasn't still mad at him, but he remembered with a smile how easily children tended to forgive. His little sister had been the same way. Throwing a temper tantrum one moment, then happily following him around the next.

He reached the door and pressed the keypad, there was a small whrrr as it slid open...


	20. Equal Footing

((Alrighty! Here is the next chapter~ I sure hope y'all like it.... it was a bit tough to write~ But also fun~ Enjoy and review~))

"Well!" Mai stood with her hands on her hips.

"Ahh..." Yuan's attention slowly shifted from the child to his sister. "She was..." he thought to sum up the conversation. There wasn't much to be said. She was just another ill-fated refugee, what was worse was that she wasn't yet aware of just how ill her fate would be. She stared back at him with innocent confidence, she had no reason to believe that she was anything but free, she had no way of knowing that the one she looked up to would betray her. Yuan Made a snap decision. "She was telling me about her plight." He looked at Mai who listened with interest. She would be more difficult if she knew the child's actual thoughts. Mai was too gullible to see the dark things that really drove people. She would probably say something like "Well maybe he really is a good person! Don't be such a jerk!" She didn't need to understand every part of this plan. "Her master is a horrible, mean ugly man who makes her do all the chores by herself, he hasn't even taught her proper language. She wants to work on the airship."

"Really!" Yuan could see Mai's immediate empathy, but also a bit of morbid interest. The half elves that worked on the airships had all done so since they were children and had only heard stories of the atrocities of the outside world. "That's horrible!"

"It is," Yuan said, waiting for his sibling to come up with what he'd been thinking all along.

"Can't we help her!"

"I'm not sure, it might not work."

"You have an idea?"

Yuan was about to answer but they both heard a group of people enter the hangar.

"Mai. Go hide with her in the servant's quarters." He watched as Mai nodded and lead the girl away by the arm. She went along without a fuss but her slightly suspicious gaze stayed trained on him until they had disappeared.

.............

The door opened with a flurry of white and green. Kratos was knocked over with the force of the protozoan's leap.

"Wha--" The smell of canine breath in his face somehow awakened a sense of peril. Noishe quickly jumped off his chest and ran into the room. Whining urgently and running a figure eight from inside the suite to back out in the hall. Kratos stood up, his mind quickly spinning out of control while he turned over strewn cushions and comforters hoping that his fears would be wrong. Everything out of sorts, there must have been a struggle, there weren't any bloodstains, but also no signs of the culprit.

She was gone, how could he have been stupid enough to leave her again. They were on a ship where her kind were enslaved! Once again, after-the-fact regrets were running rampant. He sunk helplessly into the cushionless sofa. Whoever had taken her was going to pay, and they would pay ten fold if even a single hair on her head was out of place. But who were they? Where had they taken her? A jerk on his sleeve brought him back to reality. Noishe had stopped pacing and was now pulling him into the out, Kratos saw that Noishe had his nose pressed to the ground.

Kratos took a breath to calm down.

"Wait." he ordered and went back into the room. He returned with his sword. "Lets go."

...............

"blahblah blahblahYuanblahblahblah blah" Estelle sat on one of many rough pallets in a dingy back room and tried with all her might to make sense of the older girls rambling. She had gotten rather animated after that Yuan person had said something to her. Estelle was getting a bit sick of it, she wanted to go back to the other room with Noishe. Mr. Kratos might have been back by then. Mai didn't seem like a bad person but Estelle was tired of being "kidnapped". She tried to tell her, but her words met a blank wall.

...............

It didn't take Noishe long to isolate the trail and lead Kratos into the belly of the ship. As things became progressivley more dingy and restricted looking, Kratos worried that someone might stop them, but the halls of the ship were deserted. When they reached a dark and cavernous hangar, Kratos paused at the entrance. Something about Noishe's posture told Kratos that there was someone in there.

"Who's there!" He called loudly, knowing that looking for the person himself would have given him a tactical disadvantage.

................

Yuan had nothing going for him as far as power went, but there was one thing that he did have, surprisingly enough. He had money. Over the years, Yuan had earned enough of the foreman's trust to be allowed to buy parts in cities occasionally. He had always been given the exact amount of money for what he needed. But Yuan was thrifty, he could haggle the prices down or go for the harder to build, less expensive alternatives and every time he did, he saved the difference. He would be in serious trouble if anyone knew, but he had always known that it would come in handy.

He was sure that whoever was deceiving that girl was doing so in order to get a good price for her in the future, so what would it matter to him if he got the payment in advance? It was simple, he'd say that his supervisor was interested in buying her. He could tell the girl probably had some kind of useful talent and he was sure that once she was bought, he could think of a place for her on the ship and convince the humans to keep her around. It wouldn't be hard, no one minded free labor. Then he could teach her to be a technician and she would at least be well taken care of on the ship.

He took his savings out of his hiding place behind a wall tile and waited. The human would probably come looking for his stolen merchandise soon.

.................

Kratos heard movement on the far side of the warehouse and Noishe stiffened. A solitary figure emerged, it was a boy around his own age, a half-elf judging by the turquoise hair that fell around his shoulders and a mechanic judging by the tools around his waist.

"Ah! Good evening sir!" He began with an innocuous smile, but his words made Kratos reach for his sword, "You're not looking for a half-elf with red hair are you?"

Kratos gritted his teeth and stepped forward, "Where is she?" Noishe had slipped ahead of him into the room, his nose still following a trail. Kratos watched him disappear down a hallway, but didn't follow, there were things that needed to be hammered out here.

"Ah, So you're the respected 'Mr. Kratos'. it is so good to finally meet you--" Yuan spoke the way he always did to the humans, though he was a bit surprised by this person's age.

"Shut up and tell me where she is." He took a few cat-like strides forward.

"Please hear me out!" The half-elf's hands went into the air, his voice squeaking slightly in fear, how much of it was acting he would never tell. The young man stopped at this pitiful plea.

"Make it quick."

Something about that human; maybe his equal size, their ages, or maybe just the outrageous presumption of his attitude started to crack those tenuous barriers Yuan had built around his own beliefs. Of course he would say something like that, humans always did. Through all their physical weakness, it was words that kept the human race in power, the way they could blindly and infallibly believe the propaganda they created. Of course a human would say that a couple of half elves didn't know anything about a situation that they had grown to understand more fully than anything. He bit down on his own lip, tasting blood, and trying to banish the tone he really wanted to take. He nodded toward the bag of coins. "Please take it, that's more than enough for someone her age, Sir."

"What is the reason for this?" The human asked, his tone unchanging, he kicked the bag of money away with his toe.

"I would beg you to consider the asset your property could be to the North Fleet." Yuan tried to play the national pride card, at this, the other person stirred and looked up, his expression more intense than before.

"My property...?" It took Kratos a few moments to fully comprehend what Yuan was saying. By "property" he didn't mean Estelle did he? Anger started to boil up under his skin. Not only was this slave simply referring to someone theoretically in his own situation as chattel, but specifically he was talking about Estelle as such.

"She will be a great mage someday and--" Kratos advanced on the slightly smaller figure.

"What makes you think you have any reason to decide where my property--" Kratos used the term only to lead into his point, but his voice remained low and dangerous, "belongs or doesn't, When you aren't anything but someone's property yourself." He grabbed the front of Yuan's canvas coveralls and pulled him so that they were eye to eye. Blazing amber met greenish blue. Kratos watched as fear grew but swiftly morphed into something else.

"What the fuck do you know!" The blow came out of nowhere, Kratos lurched back, caught off guard for a moment. The edge in the half-elf's voice was new, Kratos could literally feel the bitterness rolling off of him as he glared back through long strips of hair, slightly hunched and holding his own fist. Of course, this person was a technician, his hands were built for dexterity, not strength. The pain in his knuckles showed on his face. But ferocity had changed a dog into a man. Silence reigned for a few moments.

Kratos rubbed his jaw and straightened his back. Through the slight pain, a rare smile slowly spread, so this guy wasn't the spineless sycophant he put himself off as being. It was hard to know whether it was a good or bad thing at this point, but Kratos found an almost triumphant gratification at ripping away the dead wood that was keeping him from the truth.

A part of Yuan's psyche was screaming at him to stop ripping apart everything he held dear, to apologize and try to survive. He had just hauled off and punched someone who could dictate weather he lived or died, but there was another part that screamed louder. It was the part of him that had wanted to exist for all these years but had been held captive by one thing. Fear. The human stared at him piercingly, his mouth had formed into a triumphant smirk. That was it, he was dead. Mai was dead too, since she was the one with the girl right now. It was the bleakest of moments, but the sense of hyper vigilance that had always pervaded his life started to melt away as he realized there wasn't much life left.

"You're all the same! Weak, ugly, lower than dirt!", The words slipped out of their own accord, "Nothing but a bunch of lying parasites!" Yuan recalled his earliest memory, the day he and Mai had first been bought by the military. He remembered the way everything had been made to seem so comfortable for that first year. All the children had been warm and well fed and those that had watched over them had been kind. But Yuan had realized once the whip had been cracked that it had all been to cultivate a subconscious loyalty, something that ran deeper for some than the fear than had always kept Yuan in line. He thought of Mai's inherent trust of her captors and was also reminded of the strange child from Elven territory. It was bad enough that his people were forced to do the most menial tasks while their magic was also what kept humanity from being eradicated by the Elves, but to rob someone, anyone, of their personal dignity before they were even old enough to know the difference was unforgivable. "You think you can just delude that child into thinking you're some kind of white knight..."

Kratos grew more serious as insults at the whole of humanity were flung in his face, but the picture started to piece together. He wasn't sure why he had taken Estelle to begin with, but she must have rambled on about Kratos in some kind of complimentary way. Something that made Kratos feel both honored and guilty. He knew he wasn't worth any esteem but Estelle followed him as if he really were a white knight. He could understood the foundations for this person's rage and he knew the protectiveness that that girl inspired, but the idea that he would purposefully earn her loyalty in order to more easily manipulate her was dead wrong and he would have rather died than traded her for some meaningless money.

The click of claws and thud of padded paws on the smooth floors caught the attention of the two young men. Kratos caught the pleased note in Noishe's whine. He stood happily in the doorway with a very calm and bright-eyed Estelle perched on his shoulder blades. There was a sharp intake of breath, after all of this animosity the last thing Kratos had expected was a reunion as calm as this. The girl looked between the two of them, noticing the tension, but then she frowned at Kratos childishly, "Finally!" She chided, "We've been looking everywhere for you!" She daintily stepped down and padded over to him.

Yuan watched with disbelief as the human's attention shifted in an instant.

"Estelle, Are you all right!" He moved to meet her halfway and immediately began scanning for injuries, Yuan was surprised at his use of the elven language, an uncommon thing for the average human. Concern was written all over his serious features, Yuan hadn't been done taking but somehow his anger and words had escaped. His rage was being ignored in place of something more important.

"Of course I'm all right." Estelle leaned away from his scrutiny with annoyance, "You're the one that's been gone all day..."

"Are you stupid!" Kratos scolded once he was sure that she was unharmed, "What part of _don't leave this room_ did you not understand!"

"I'm not stupid! I was kidnapped!" The girl snapped back.

"Do you even know what that means!"

"Sure! It means I was deceived and taken against my will, so you should---" Estelle's lawyer-like defense was cut off as she was unceremoniously flung over Kratos' shoulder.

"We're leaving."

"Put me down! I can walk on my own! Stupid!" Yuan almost had to suppress a laugh as the little girl started angrily hitting Kratos in the back of the head. Though so much about the exchange confused him. Kratos wasn't acting particularly kind or mature and he had somehow imagined Estelle to he a little more delicate and shy. Instead the two were bickering like a couple of wet cats. They were fighting, Yuan realized, like equals.

"And as for you." Kratos placed the girl on the Protozoan's back again and inclined his head towards Yuan. His eyes had grown dark again. "If you have a problem with the way things are, you'll never be able to solve it without breaking the rules."

As they walked away, Yuan didn't try to stop them and almost as soon as they were gone completely a breathless Mai came running in. "That Protozoan! It-it took her..." She paused and took a few more breaths as she scanned the room. "Why are your savings all over the floor? Did you meet the evil guy!"

"Not exactly..."

(Oh by the way~ I drew a picture! Its a silly one... Make of it what you will XD :P http ://i640. photobucket. com/ albums/ uu122/ Oridesu/ EPSON002-2. jpg )

(Oh, and be sure to reveiw!~)


	21. The Hubris of Life

((Fufufufu! I wrote something! Gah~ I'm feeling really exited about this story again~ :D Yuan made a small reprise! Though we wont be hearing about him again for a while~ Though I really thing this particular fic will be drawing to a close soon. Though the story won't be over, the will certainly be some sort of sequel, though the next one will truly involve everyone. :3 Anyway~ please review or I will cry! See ya'all soon! Bye!

Oh! and I consulted a source and found that generals control tanks whereas, admirals control ships... So General Escott, is now Admiral Escott... Just though I'd mention that...))

The groan of strained metal shook the travelers awake. Whatever she lay on, pitched and rolled and Estelle felt for one terrifying moment that the whole of the world had been ripped in half and that she was left in the darkness between. But before she could even make a sound, a strong hand caught her wrist and she knew she was simply in the cabin of a human airship. It was really dark for some reason.

"Are you okay?"

Estelle flinched at that familiar voice in the dark. It had only been a short time ago that that voice had been raised at her in admonishment. Kratos had been so angry at her for going with those half elves, he said that they had meant to sell her into slavery. A shiver ran down the girl's spine at the thought, she remembered the web of harsh scars that had traveled across her own father's back and arms. She knew what they did to slaves. There had been a reason Dad had run away from human lands when elven lands had also threatened death. It was the same reason that so many half-elves made their homes in the woods of Yemmre, the forest offered a remote taste of freedom.

It all made sense, but she still couldn't see how it made sense in her own life. To everyone else, Kratos was her master and she his servant, they weren't friends and they had no reason to protect one another. While she was lucky enough to be owned by someone who did mean to protect her, she was still property to anyone else who looked upon her. She had said that aloud, but that was when Kratos had grown silent. "Better property than dead." he had said with desperate finality. Estelle knew that her companion really didn't think of her like that, but the very idea was so wrong that she didn't know what to think. The warring emotions had been fighting within her head until the moment she had drifted to sleep.

"Estelle?" The strong hand shook her arm, worry becoming more audible. The girl opened her mouth to reply, but found that she was all choked up. It took her a few tries to finally say something.

"I-I'm fine."

"Good." Were his only words, "Get up, it sounds like something's wrong with the ship." Shakily, Estelle let herself be pulled up. Without sight, the cold buzz of the ship's mana was even sharper. She tried to focus on something else before it started to make her head pound, but it was proving to be difficult. There was something desperate about the energy, she thought, like a bird trapped in a chimney. And surrounding it there was something more, something warm and endlessly strong. And Estelle realized that it wasn't the ship's energy that was desperate, it was this other energy. Cloaked and surrounded by the coldness of metal, being choked to death by the smoke of sin. Estelle heard a low whine and wondered where exactly Noishe was in the blackness.

Estelle's feet felt heavy as she was lead for a few steps. When her clumsy legs let her trip, she was immediately swept off the ground. Despite herself, she was comforted by the height, security and body heat of being carried. Kratos was still Kratos despite their social standing. Though, the young man wasn't much steadier in the dark than she had been. He lurched forward a few steps, as Estelle clung for dear life, and grasped around for something on the wall.

A mechanical whine filled the room as Kratos found the switch he had been looking for. With that whine, a fast-growing strip of light split the darkness revealing the sparsely lit landscape of the room.

Kratos took a split second to thank whatever gods there were that the window shade was not on the same circuit as the lights. The moon was soon pouring in, revealing the same gawdy room as before. Noishe seemed restless, still curled on the bed, but sharply watching his surroundings.

The floor beneath them rocked again and Kratos braced himself against the wall, holding onto Estelle tightly. He could finally see her face now, pinched and pale with fear as she looked out the window. The child glanced up at him and he inwardly cringed in shame. He had been so harsh with her before, telling her everything about human society and the life of the average half-elf. He hated to even think about those realities, it scared him more that he had once simply accepted them. But Estelle had to be cautioned against running away like that again and she had to be prepared for the way she would be treated once they reached a human city.

"Everything will be okay." He said, vainly trying to comfort the girl. She nodded in reply.

Kratos focused on not falling over, the ship was still rocking dangerously, the cause of the turbulence was unclear and it was too pitch black to enter the labyrinthine hallway. They were at the mercy of whatever had crippled the ship. Kratos leaned against the wall and hoped the problem would sort itself out.

"What's that!" The hushed but sharp question caught Kratos by surprise; Estelle was staring out the window, eyes wide. Kratos followed her gaze and had to suppress a gasp himself at the awesome sight that waited. No wonder the ship's engines were unsteady...

The large trunk dwarfed even the girth of the warship and the millions of branches that fanned out from that core only let the tiniest flecks of moonlight reach the ground below. Every branch was heavy with dewy green leaves. The Giant Tree Of Kharlan looked close enough to touch. Even Kratos' dull human senses could feel the immense, life-giving power that flowed from that very place to the rest of creation. This wasn't Efrell.

...

"Get these lights working or I'll box those pointy ears of yours till you've gone deaf!" Some mid level foreman barked.

_I don't have pointy ears, you ignorant bastard._.. Yuan thought as he quietly sifted through the tangle of wires and fuses of the main power conduits. His own snark surprised him, before he had made a concerted effort to keep thoughts like that at bay, they would do nothing to keep him alive. But now his usual personality seemed like even more of a lie.

"Understood, sir." He said with a disingenuous smile, it was hard not to gag or bite his tongue. Furthermore, it was impossible to fix the lights as of now, how could that human not even feel that raw power coursing through the air? None of this technology was designed to withstand such staggering amounts of mana. Whose bright idea had it been to fly through the Holy Ground of Kharlan anyway? They should be shot...

An eerie glow started to bathe the room around him. Shit! The excess energy was discharging, that could lead to permanent damage! Under his breath Yuan muttered a spell to safely burn off the excess mana. The room went dark again and it created a few flickery, fire-like lights that drifted around the maintenance passageway.

"Hey! Stop fooling around!"

In what he thought to be the safety of the dark, Yuan indulged in one exasperated eye-roll. This idiot was worse than the usual foreman, at least that human seemed to understand that magitchnology involved _magic_. He fixed his face again and turned back to the human, but too late, he realized that the light of his own spell had betrayed him. He man was red in the face and staring down at him with a furious gaze.

"You insolent-" He seemed to want to elaborate, but wasn't nearly articulate enough, instead he made good on his a fore mentioned threats. The young half elf soon found himself laying on the cold ground, ears ringing and tasting his own blood.

"This one's no good!" He heard the same gravelly voice saying to another. "Take him downstairs and straighten him out!", and with that, he felt himself being roughly dragged away...

...

"It's so big~! And beautiful!" The little girl was pressed up against the glass, all fear forgotten in the shadow of the giant tree. "What's it called?" She looked back at Kratos with wonder in her eyes.

"That couldn't be anything but The Giant Tree of Kharlan..." Kratos replied, caught up in the same awe as his younger companion. Everyone knew about the world's source of life, but not many got to see the great tree within their lifetimes.

"Woooow!" She finally looked like an eight year old again as she stared out at the breathtaking scene. Kratos couldn't help but smile as he placed her back on the ground and let her look at the tree on her own. Though, the smile quickly faded as the ramifications of this flight sunk in. The Holy Ground of Kharlan was a dangerous place to use technology; even gradeschoolers knew that too much mana could be dangerous. Furthermore, Efrell was far back to the East and North. In order to be here, the flight path was already way off course.

Unfortunately, nothing could be done until the lights came back and he could find someone to ask. The rumors he had heard nagged at him as he sat in the thin light and watched Estelle gaze out the window. He clenched his fist, the last person earth he would ever rely on, was Admiral Escott.


	22. The Plot Thickens

((*sigh* This chapter was weird. LOL Sry if y'all hate it~ Glad I got it done though! :) Oh, I'm sure y'all have caught on, but most of the places have altered names from the game. I did this because I figured that the names of most average places would have changed over time. Though, the places mostly coincide with real game places XD;; anyways Pleeease reveiw!))

"Admiral," The commander's face didn't move as she spoke, despite her annoyance. "Do you still believe that this change in trajectory was the proper idea?" Her fingers moved quickly as she attempted to drive the ship manually. The navigation systems had been fried, "I don't see why it is so important to take those individuals to the capital. The protozoan can't be anything but dangerous and the other two are just helpless children."

"Of course you wouldn't understand the necessity, Eliza." The Admiral glared at his subordinate with contempt. People were running about the bridge, too busy to notice their leader's change in attitude, "The North Fleet's Flagship will survive this shortcut, we can say that we were evading an Elven Attack. What's important is getting that true protozoan and the Aurion boy back to the capital before the rumors hit. We'll be able to sell whatever story we want that way."

The strange young woman's eyes flicked back to the middle-aged officer for a moment and then quickly back to the control terminal. Within that clipped motion, a look of sadness touched her cold, crimson eyes, though no one would have been able to see. "Whatever you say." she replied dispassionately, its not like there was anything she could do against the Admiral. She would just have to support him while he played his silly political games. Though pity welled up in her heart for that green and white Arshis and the fate that awaited it. Eliza had never had the benefit of being connected to the soul of this world. She only had the faintest memories sealed in her DNA. Though she knew how beings such as herself were created. They were copies, all drawn from the same unfortunate original. But she couldn't disobey, so the fate of the odd group wasn't her concern.

...

The silence of the cabin became more comfortable as the the ship's motion seemed to stabilize. Kratos indulged in their momentary helplessness. Nothing could be done, so he fell in line with the child and watched the scene drift by. Though his mind didn't stop moving, at this rate, the ship was probably halfway to the capital. It didn't surprise him that something like this was happening. That fact that he was still alive was testament to the power and fame of his family.

It was likely the Admiral planned to parade him around like a trophy. They would spin some story about him being a prisoner of war, it would be a wonderful campaign both against the enemy and for the human side's warships. The fire of war would burn brighter, hatred for elvenkind would grow at the memory of the cold blooded massacre two years ago. The massacre that had taken away humanity's most beloved general along with his wife and children while they were at their summer home in the country.

Kratos grimaced at the thought, the only home he had ever grown attached to was that plain ranch house in the country. It was where mom had grown up, and she insisted on her kids growing up there as well. Kratos had been to the capital a few times, but he could remember, even through the fog of childhood, that he had hated the endless crowds and fake politicians. I made it all the worse that he would be propping up the one person he had reason to despise. Admiral Escott, his grandfather's dedicated apprentice... The man didn't seem evil, but even looking at his face made Kratos sick. And even if he wasn't evil, he was sure to be a at least a bit power hungry, and what better way to gain a promotion than to rescue a hero's son?

"Hey Kratos...", a small voice said, catching his drifting attention. He tried to snap back to a lighter mood, but faltered.

"Yeah?"

"Um...",Estelle trailed off when she saw the dark look on her friend's face. Noishe also looked nervous and contemplative as he remained curled on the bed. "Nevermind..."

"No, what was it?" The dark look faded into a tired smile. Estelle had forgotten what she was wanted to say, it had just been some silly question about the tree, but now that she had spoken she had to finish with something.

"Well..." She didn't know what to say, but hoped to take his mind off of what ever was bothering him. "I should probably learn how to speak human, eh?" She grinned.

"Yeah probably," Kratos went along with her light mood, "Elvish really isn't popular where we're going."

"Yup." Estelle smiled and continued to look at his face expectantly.

"Yup..." It took Kratos a few seconds to wonder if she was going to say anything more, then he realized that the task of teaching her fell squarely in his own lap. It was kind of obvious, but the though stuck him as terrifying. He hadn't the first clue about teaching anyone anything! Kratos had never been good with words, though he could decode things rather well. He hesitated to speak most of the time. However, no matter what happened to him in the future he couldn't afford to remain silent.

He started in on basic greeting and taught the girl how to introduce herself respectfully. Her accent was nearly perfect and she picked things up quickly. Though Kratos' teaching methods consisted mainly of phrases and their translations. Focusing on something in the present slowly began to bring down Kratos' stress level. By the time the lights flickered back to life and the Giant Tree faded into the distance, his mind had cleared.

Kratos' knew that the world of the capital was not for him, nor was he willing to become someone's pawn. Though he also knew that he didn't have the heart or strength to fight his way to freedom again. Without someone important being in danger, the very idea of drawing his sword on any living thing brought back clear and disturbing memories of the past two years. He had taken so many lives without any thought but revenge. He didn't want to take any more. All he could do was go along with things and slip away when he could. Besides, the detour could have been due to something unknown.

...

As the journey continued, the soles of her sandals had become more air than leather. She didn't wish to waste them, but they had become more of a hindrance than protection. Besides, the grass felt good between her toes. Martel put the worn shoes in her pack. the wind blew softly over the grassy plains. She had reached the edge of the woods that morning and now stopped to rest.

She watched her little brother as he crawled around in a small circle at her feet. He giggled loudly and she couldn't help but laugh with him. It had been hard since their parents had died, and harder still to take care of a baby while traveling, but Mithos' smile always wiped away that pain. Though Martel knew thing's weren't going to get any easier, these plains were disputed territory, and beyond that was where her people were enslaved. Worried gnawed at her stomach as she imagined what might await her there. Though she knew there was nothing from where she had come. All of her parents friends whom she had been told to find were dead. The elves had cracked down on the small pockets of half-elves living on their land.

But, this moment was still beautiful.

"Mithos!" she said sweetly, "Lets eat lunch okay?", She pulled the infant into her lap and took out the last of their food, a few bits of cheese and some dry bread. Martel took a small bite of the bread and put it away. That should be enough for her until they could get more. She broke some cheese in small pieces and coaxed her brother to eat every piece. He made faces but sucked on the bits until they were gone. He was old enough to eat solid food, but not very skilled. Martel wished that her brother had more chances to play and experience new things, bit was impossible when they were always on the run. And that, was why she was making this final journey.

At this age, he would be able to forget the horrors that would always weigh her down. If they found a steady place to live, Mithos would be able to grow up safe and fed. The only price was freedom, if it had just been her alone, there would have been no question; freedom was more important than comfort. But, Mithos was more important than anything, she couldn't subject him to this life anymore.

She heard the rush of an aircraft off in the distance and her heart rate picked up. She had to get moving!

((Reveiw?))


	23. Freedom

(Okayy... so I was *this* close to ending the series this week but I am too lazy to write a finale right now so I'm just posting a short chapter. So yup The finale will be cool when I get around to it... but yeah... There are a number of side stories I'm thinking of writing sometime now. Mostly because I miss Yuan and thus will have to write about his life while the main characters of this fic don't know him. *sigh* I'm really running into burn out XD this series should have been much shorter than it is and I really want to write about later on stuff! anyway I'm just spilling my gut now so eeeerrr sorry? lol Anyway, please enjoy and reveiw!))

Each breath made her feel just a little more nauseous, the familiar sensation of her own nails pricking the flesh of her hands kept her mind sharp and the familiar weight of her brother kept her grounded. Martel looked across the crowded warehouse. At the very end, she could see sunlight filtering through the door. The only sign that she was still in the same world.

Mithos was silent, asleep. She had woven the spell before coming, he'd be out for at least a few more hours. She'd had to tell them he was her son, too young to leave his mother, but any moment they could still be ripped apart. Their odds would have been worsened had he been crying and making noise. Now she waited to be shoved onto a platform and scrutinized.

She was chained to her fellow half-elves. But could she even call them her fellows? The people that she waited with were entirely unlike the half elves of the northwest, whom had lived each day in danger and glory, fighting for everything they had. These people had never fought for anything, nor had they ever won. They stared back with blankness, completely cowed by their masters, yet they looked hungry. So hungry that Martel couldn't bear to look. Somewhere inside she knew she was different. She knew the light that filled her own gaze and feared that, in all their hunger, they might try to take it for themselves. But it was something she couldn't give, it was merely a remnant of a life she had willingly left.

But of course, all of that was just silly paranoia created from her own anguish. Martel brought herself back to reality, she wasn't different, she was sure everyone longed for freedom as she did. It was easy to think some crazy things when you were about to be sold...

"Going once, twice!" She watched as the poor soul in front of her, a boy no older than eight, was unchained only to be passed off to a stone-faced old human. Martel could see the smile lines on his chiseled face, but his eyes told her that that warmth was not for his new servant. How terrible, that people could so easily pick and choose who deserved their kindness.

She had already begun to move forward when she received a sharp prod in her own back, urging her up the stairs...

...

It had been about two days since they had reached the capital. In that time, Kratos had been shuttled around, questioned, and finally he was being taken to what the Admiral had said would be his "Permanent Residence". Kratos had already decided that there would be nothing permanent about his stay there, though it would be difficult to escape without some help or at least more planning. The only good thing so far was that his presence in the city had been kept as secret as possible. Apparently he was to meet with the prime minister next week.

Since the airship had touched down, he had been constantly accompanied by a number of stewards and bodyguards. He had no idea who was paying for them all, but when he had tried to order them away, they hadn't even blinked. They had even tried to persuade him to get rid of Noishe and Estelle, but had not yet grown mutinous enough to take them away without his permission. They would have to escape soon, before the pushiness of his "servants" turned them into his captors.

Estelle, the smart girl that she was, had immediately slipped into her role as they were surrounded by outsiders. She avoided everyone's eyes, stayed out of the way and did whatever work she could. Kratos could tell that she had taken his warnings seriously, the focus he could see on her face was that of one fighting for their life. Kratos hated that, he had to keep to his role as well, so he kept a sharp eye on the girl as she stayed close to Noishe, but made no other moves to interact.

...

Estelle watched Kratos' reddish brown head bob between the helmets and feathered hats of the servants that had joined him on arrival. It was their fault that neither her nor Noishe had been able to get close to their friend for at least two days. Of Estelle hated it, Noishe was terrible conversation and it was obvious even from this far away that Kratos was miserable. Beyond that, she hated the way everyone looked at her, to them, she knew her life was worth less then an animal's. She rubbed her arm where one of the soldiers had casually but painfully shoved her aside. She's been able to understand the phrase 'stupid half elf' and she'd had to bite her tongue to keep from shouting back with her usual routine. She wasn't a -half- elf she was a three-quarters elf! But of course that would have been fatal, especially since her default language was still elvish. Instead, she had just let herself be pushed to the ground and apologized. She was glad that Kratos hadn't seen that happen, she was sure he would have gotten mad.

At first everything had been frightening, the city was unlike anything Estelle had ever seen, there were almost no plants, and the only animals she saw were human, protozoans and a few half-elves. The whole place felt dead and cruel, the humans seemed happy enough, but everywhere there was the underlying prick of death and decay. Nothing here created mana, like the airship, it just sucked it away. She learned to avoid everyone's eyes and invented ways to look busy and avoid the ire of Kratos' psudo-followers and, after a while, she realized that, less so than being hated, she was mostly ignored.

It wasn't Estelle's favorite place to be, but she found there was a certain advantage in being the one that no one took notice of. While Kratos' hands were essentially tied with all the attention he was receiving she was free to get a good look at their surroundings. They weren't pretty to look at, but, it seemed to Estelle, there were tons of great places to hide. Really, it would just take some kind of diversion, and maybe they could run back to a better place, with more trees and less people.

The question was, could she do?


	24. A Change of Scene I

((HAHHAHA! I now give you part one of the two part season finale! I'm sorry its short but there are two parts so there! and stuff sorta happens! Anyway Please enjoy and I will try to get the last chapter of within the week :) anyway! Have great day! and please reveeeiiiiiwww!))

There was a nervous feeling in the pit of Estelle's stomach, it had been growing since the moment they touched pavement. The longer it took to escape, the less chance they had of succeeding. She had no idea where they might be going, but wherever it was, it was sure to be well-guarded. This was a safe place for some, that she knew, but it wasn't a safe place for her, a selfish paranoia had settled over her actions. She was just property to these bastards, so she had to get smarter and stronger, fast. Noishe and Kratos had protected her all this time, but here, they were outnumbered. To be trapped in a place like this was an impossibility because before too long, Estelle knew she would simply stop breathing.

She ran her hand over Noishe's side, closed her eyes and tried to think. The protozoan stopped and gave her a confused look. She quickly opened her eyes and urged him to keep moving, she didn't want to draw attention to herself, but she wished it wasn't so loud. She shrunk away from a guard's gaze and climbed on Noishe's back, trying to seem less suspicious.

What did she have that these humans didn't? She had magic, the true, raw kind of magic that only someone with the blood of elves could control. But she wasn't skilled, she hadn't even been able to heal a small wound. Rael had been the mage in the family. The memory of her sister took her by surprise and she realized that she hadn't thought of her family in such a long time. It had been too painful, but at the realization, she felt guilty. She had forsaken her most precious memories because of their painful end. Who was to say that her memories didn't hold some helpful knowledge she hadn't thought to use.

Noishe had stopped, it woke Estelle from her thoughts, her ears picked up a rusty noise and, through her bangs, she made out the form of a gate. It wasn't large, but her heart squeezed violently. It was too late, she hadn't been able to do anything. She could see the everyone was going in. Kratos' small looking form had disappeared already. Noise tensed and walked faster and it only spurred on Estelle's fear. She was sure they would be locked out, abandoned to this cruel city, Kratos wouldn't like that, but he wasn't invincible here. Not with so many people against them...

...

As he was led toward that familiar townhouse, Kratos tried to convince himself that he was mistaken. He knew what he was looking at, but it didn't change the aversion. He couldn't go there, not now, not ever. But still he walked, one foot over the other, same blank expression as ever. A stray branch of hedge brushed his hair and he was three feet tall crawling on hands and knees. He could still remember the leafy, cramped passages of his backyard fort. To his right, he could hear the fountain and some morbid curiosity compelled him to look. That same statue of a nameless goddess solemnly watched as water poured over her shoulders. Someone had maintained the flowerbeds, the same nameless blue, gold, and pink one's mom had liked.

"Lord Aurion," Some faceless, well dressed monster was holding the door open now, "I hope you find this satisfactory, I'm afraid it took a great deal of work to get this place back in shape."

Kratos couldn't reply, he reached the threshold and he could smell furniture polish, dusty carpet and below that, something much more familiar, something much more painful. A portrait hung in the entryway and Kratos had to stop. Had they not even had the decency to clear out personal items? He couldn't look that portrait in the face, he could live here. She turned and looked back towards the street. Noishe and Estelle were watching him from far away. The girl looked just as stricken as he felt and that brought about that odd strength one feels from being a protector. He had to be strong for those he was responsible for.

Kratos mustered a nod and walked in. Though, this time, he did something new. He stood inside the doorway and waited. It felt wrong, but he was the master of this house, and these weasels were at least supposed to act like his servants. It shouldn't matter to them whom he associated with. When he was met with confused expression after confused expression he nodded them ahead, slowly each of the four soldiers and four stewards entered the house.

As Estelle came closer, She could see Kratos' face. The moment their eyes met, a warm smile played over his face. The confidence wasn't real, but when Estelle's look of terror softened and she returned his smile, it became real. Together, they walked in.

...

It was dark, the smell of blood was sharp in her nostrils, the control room was in shambles, the bodies of her men lay at broken angles. Eliza turned her gaze downward and she could see that her own blood was coloring the tiles around her. Though she felt no pain as the crimson liquid spilled. Whoever had orchestrated this must have known the ship inside and out. The imperial forces should be stopping them, but the ship was so big that it probably wasn't easy to tell there was trouble, even when they were docked, not with communications sabotaged...

Her vision started to blur and it occurred to that this might be the end. She supposed it made sense, after all she eked out a much longer existence than her sisters. It was even unfair that she had been able to live to this point...

She no longer had the capacity to be surprised when she heard the footsteps and a figure loomed over her. "Well?" They asked, "How loyal are you?" Her head seemed too heavy as she looked up, but she could make out the familiar uniform, so the slaves had revolted. It made sense, with how they were treated.

"Well?"

"Why?" She asked in reply. She had always thought herself to be loyal, but merely out of debt. "Why haven't you killed me yet?" That last bit of curiosity woke up her mind, but she was too weak to follow it. The world faded into final darkness.

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